Battle Scars
by Hidden Berserker
Summary: Robin, Aqualad, and Kid went to recruit Speedy onto the team. Instead they got a new enigmatic teammate. Meet the mute vigilante Kage, who is new to the hero business, but she holds many secrets that have yet to be discovered, and has skills that far surpass any amateur. Who is she and why does she hide?
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER I DON'T OWN YOUNG JUSTICE OR ITS CHARACTERS. ALL OF IT SADLY BELONGS TO DC. THEN AGAIN THAT'S WHY WE MAKE FANFICTION. ENJOY THE STORY.**

"Talking"

 _Thoughts_

" _Mind link"_

" **Sign Language"**

 **STAR CITY**

 **JULY 17 23:16 PDT**

Speedy watched as the thugs unloaded a shipment of weapons from the shipping crate. He nodded to a shadowed figure next to him wearing a black hoodie and black jeans. The figure gave the slightest of nods before the vigilante shot an arrow down at the thugs. When the thugs dropped the case of weapons, a gun skidded over to a large man in a suite who kicked it up into his hand and aimed it at Speedy, standing proud as his partner had already faded into the shadows.

"You again!" the thug snarled. "I'm starting to get insulted Green Arrow's not messing with my operations personally."

Speedy began to dodge plasma blasts from the aggressive thug. When Speedy landed on a catwalk, he managed to pull an arrow from his quiver and made a front flip shot.

 _Show off._ The figure snorted from their hiding spot, knowing that flip wasn't necessary to make the shot as the arrow exploded inside the gun, destroying it and the thug's suit. However the thug remained unharmed.

The thug examined his shredded suit and glared heatedly at the archer. "Do you know what I pay for a suit in my size?!" he snarled before barking orders to his lackeys. "Scorch the earth boys."

They all raised their guns at Speedy, ready to fire, but a yellow blur knocked two over, becoming their knew target, and what looked to be a batarangs lodged themselves in the others as Robin cackled, swinging by on a grappling hook and landing somewhere behind some crates. Aqualad took Robin's place before pouncing onto the thugs with his water bearers, knocking two out by whipping them into the loading truck. The lead thug ripped out a boulder-sized piece of ground and threw it at Speedy, who had been running along a line of crates. He shot an explosive arrow at the man, once again with no real affect as the thug threw another boulder at him. Speedy dodged out of the way and Aqualad jumped in his place, cutting the boulder in half, giving the archer the perfect opportunity to shoot a smoke screen arrow at the thug.

"The cave is perfect," Aqualad said, turning to ginger. "It has everything the team will need."

Robin landed behind him, smiling eagerly, "For covert missions. You know spy stuff."

Kid Flash ran up the crates to add his two cents, "And wait till you see Superboy and Miss Martian, but I saw her first."

The thug, in a fit of fury threw another boulder at the group of teenage vigilantes. All of them dodged except for Aqualad who used his water bearers to create a mace and smashed it into pieces. Speedy shot three arrows at once at the thug, one exploded and the other two lodged themselves into his chest, exploding one by one. The thug began to laugh at his efforts, taunting him, "Tell Arrow he shouldn't send boys to do a man's job."

Speedy's face remained passive as he calmly notched an arrow aimed directly at his chest. The thug held his arms out in challenge. "Go ahead," he'll wish he never said that.

Speedy let the arrow fly and it hit its mark, releasing a red foam that completely covered the giant thug, and hardening once it settled. Kid Flash skidded to a stop in front of Speedy, "High density polyurethane foam, nice."

The ginger didn't reply as he turned away, walking past Robin and Aqualad, who were waiting for him. "So Speedy, you in?" Robin asked, leaning against a nearby set of crates with his arms crossed over his chest. Speedy stopped and barely turned to look at him.

"Pass," he scowled. "I'm done letting Arrow and the League tell me what to do. I don't need a babysitter or a clubhouse to hang out with the other kids. Your Junior Justice League is a joke, something to keep you busy and in your place. I don't want any part of it."

"You could at least thank us for the back up," Kid Flash snapped.

All heads turned at the sound of cracks being made in the foam. The thug broke out of the foam with roar of triumph. The boys with the exception of Speedy fell into defensive stances. The thug began to walk towards the young heroes. Speedy simply folded his arms and watched as the guy's shadow shot someone out. The thug looked up in shock before a pair of converse boots landed on his face. The figure hopped off, watching as the thug staggered back, and swept his legs out from under him. While he was sprawled out on the ground they snapped their fingers and several black tendrils rose from the shadowy ground and subdued the criminal. The figure slowly sank into the shadowy tendrils and walked out of the shadows that the archer was ready to depart into.

"I already had back up," Speedy chuckled, approaching the new arrival and gently place a hand on the small of their back. The figure watched them warily, unsure of how the famous protégés would react to their presence.

"Who's this?" Kid Flash bluntly demanded.

"This is Kage," Speedy answered, gesturing to the black clad figure standing next to him, who nodded in greeting.

"Found her when I was out on patrol. She doesn't talk so don't expect a grand debate," Kage shoulders shook in silent laughter, amused at the inside joke.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Kage," Aqualad said with a friendly smile as he held his hand out for her to shake. A hand wrapped in black bandages gave his a firm shake, however to his slight disappointment the bandages covered her entire hand, giving no clue as to her skin color. Kage was an enigma due to her shadowy silhouette. She wore a black hoodie that hid her feminine figure with the hood drawn over her head that shadowed her face, black skinny jeans, and black converse boot with the light blue strings being the only color in her outfit.

Speedy gave a small smile at the exchange, noticing how relaxed his new friend was around his old ones. However he grew slightly nervous when Kage stormed over to him and began to sign furiously. He backed away nervously with his hands up in surrender, "What did I do this time?!" He got his answer when the silent girl sharply smacked him upside the head and began signing furiously. The three protégés watched in amusement at the seemingly one-sided conversation as the usually intimidating archer pleaded his case to the smaller teenager.

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, I'm sorry, but you gotta admit that that flip shot was awesome," he futilely tried to end the embarrassing conversation only for Kage to smack his head again. She gestured furiously to her hooded head and sighed tiredly, her shoulders slumping in exasperation. Speedy put his hands on her shoulders, "If I buy you some strawberries, will you forgive me?"

Kage folded her arms and held her head up sternly before slowly signing something that devastated the ginger. He sighed forlornly, "Yes ma'am."

"What just happened?" Kid Flash asked Robin who cackled mercilessly at his friend's apparent misfortune.

"Speedy just got owned!" the two friends gave each other a brofist.

Aqualad ignored their antics and approached Kage with the idea of the Young Justice League. "What about you Kage? Would you be willing to give the team a try?" Her hood tilted to the side in thought before she gestured back to Speedy. Aqualad seemed to catch on to what she was trying to say, "Of course you will still be able to patrol with Speedy. Will you take it into consideration?"

Kage was surprised at how they so easily extended this offer to her without even knowing her. She thought hard on the offer. Speedy made the team sound like a social club for wannabe heroes. However, what if the archer was wrong? What would like to be on a team? Sure she was partners with Speedy, but it was just the two of them, and she didn't want her only friend to be just Speedy. She turned to said archer who gave her a supportive pat on the back before bringing her gaze back to the Atlantean. Slowly, she nodded her head to accept the offer and held her hand out to Aqualad. She received a bright smile from the sea dwelling protégé and Aqualad was confident that she was smiling too.

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **JULY 18 11:00 EDT**

" **Recognized: Kage B13."**

Kage walked out the Zeta Beam transporter, staggering slightly at the disorientating experience. She tried to steady herself as Miss Martian, Superboy, and Aqualad came to greet her. "I am glad that you could make it, Kage. Meet Miss Martian and Superboy, the other members of the team we mentioned last night. We are currently waiting for Red Tornado to arrive with a mission for us," he smiled in a welcoming manner. The next thing she knew, the black clad teen was being choked to death by a pair of green arms.

"I'm so glad I'm not the only girl on the team!" Miss Martian exclaimed, tightening her grip. Kage flailed her arms frantically, trying to tell the girl that she couldn't breathe.

" **Recognized: Robin B01. Kid Flash B03."**

The speedster and Boy Wonder ran over to the small group eagerly, but paused at the sight of one teammate slowly killing another. Robin gave Kage a sympathetic look, "I think you're choking her Miss M."

Before the Martian could look down in shock, the weight of said girl disappeared. She floated through Miss Martian's arms in a black mist. Their jaws dropped as Kage solidified a few feet away, hunched over in an attempt to catch her breath.

"Whoa," Kid Flash said breathlessly.

Miss Martian quickly got over her shock and apologized profusely, but Kage merely shook her head before straightening up to pat the Martian on the shoulder, commending her for her strong grip. "I think she's trying to say no hard feelings," Robin explained to the confused ginger. Miss Martian sighed in relief and smiled at the hooded girl.

"Did you ask him?"

"What did he say?" Kid Flash and Robin asked eagerly as they turned to the holographic map with a picture of Red Tornado headed to their location.

Aqualad looked back at them with an equally eager expression, "He's arriving now."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Kid didn't wait for an answer as he ran to the entrance of the cave with the others trailing after him. Kage followed quietly, curious as to what the android was like. Once outside, she was met with the fierce winds of the hero's namesake as he lowered himself to the ground.

"Red Tornado!" Kid Flash called in greeting, unable to hide the huge grin on his face.

"Greetings," the android said in a stern robotic voice. "Is there a reason you intercept me outside the cave?"

"We hoped you had a mission for us," Aqualad answered with hope alight in his eyes.

This, however, did nothing to sway the android, "Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility."

"But it's been over a week and nothing –"

He held his hand up to stop Robin's impending rant, "You will be tested soon enough, for the time being, simply enjoy each other's company."

"This team is not a social club," Aqualad scoffed.

Red Tornado either didn't notice or ignored the ire in the Atlantean's voice, "No, but I am told social interaction is an important team building exercise. Perhaps you can keep busy by familiarizing yourself with the cave." With that the android walked into the cave to let that information sink in.

"Keep busy," Kid scoffed.

"Does he think we're falling for this?" Robin demanded in outrage.

"I'll find out!" Miss Martian offered eagerly before focusing on the android's mind. No one noticed Kage flinching at the thought of telepathy. She sighed in disappointment, "I'm sorry. I forgot he's a machine. Inorganic, I cannot read his mind."

Kid Flash took this as a chance to flirt with the green teen, "Nice try though. So, uh, you know what I'm thinking right now?"

Robin scoffed, elbowing his best friend in the ribs earning a yelp from the speedster, "We all know what you're thinking now."

"And now we tour the clubhouse," Aqualad sneered. Kage walked up to the sea dweller and placed a gloved hand on his shoulder to show her sympathy. He gave her a small smile in return for the sentiment.

"Well, Superboy and I live here. We could play tour guides," all heads turned to said Kryptonian.

His eyes widened in panic, "Don't look at me!"

"We won't," Kid said dismissively. "A private tour sounds much more fun."

Robin sputtered in disbelief, "She never said private!"

"Team building, we'll all go," Aqualad said, leaving no room for argument.

So began Miss Martian's exclusive tour around the cave. Kage gave a huff of laughter when Robin hit Kid as he passed. They went all around the cave from the front to the back.

"The cave is actually the entire mountain," she said informatively.

"It was hollowed out and reinforced by Superman and Green Lantern in the early days of the League," Kid added.

"Then why abandon it for The Hall of Justice?" Superboy wondered aloud.

"The cave's secret location was compromised," Aqualad answered.

"So they traded it in for a tourist trap? Yeah, that makes sense," the Kryptonian scoffed derisively.

"If villains know the location of the cave, then we must be on constant alert," Miss Martian mused somberly.

Robin took her hand in his and gave what he thought was a suave smile, "The bad guys know we know they know about the place so they'd never think to look here."

Kid took her hand from the Boy Wonder and gave a flirtatious smile to the Martian, "He means we hiding in plain sight."

"Ah, that's much clearer," she said with an uneasy smile.

Superboy's attention was grasped by the small hooded figure tugging on the sleeve of his jacket. He gave her a curious look before she pointed to his nose. The clone raised a brow at her but sniffed the air anyway to see what she meant. "I smell smoke," he told her, catching Miss Martian's attention.

"My cookies!" she gasped. She flew to the kitchen where she mentally removed a sheet of burnt black cookies from the smoking oven and placed it carefully on the counter. She looked down in disappointment, "I was trying out Grammy Jones' recipe from episode seventeen of – oh! Never mind."

"I bet they would have tasted great. He doesn't seem to mind," Robin tossed sly smirk in the speedster's direction as he munched on the burnt cookies.

Kid looked around at the pointed stares in shock. "I have a serious metabolism," he said with a sheepish smile.

"I'll make more?" she asked hopefully.

"It was sweet of you to make any," Aqualad said reassuringly. Kage put a comforting hand on the red-head's shoulder.

"Thanks Aqualad," she said with a shy smile.

"We're off duty, call me Kaldur'ahm. Actually, my friends call me Kaldur," he offered a friendly smile to the Martian.

"I'm Wally, see I already trust you with my secret ID, unlike Mr. Dark Glasses over here," Robin put his hands on his hips and scowled at the speedster. "Batman's forbidden Boy Wonder from telling anyone his real name."

"Mine's no secret, it's M'gnn M'orzz, but you can call me Megan. It's an earth name, and I'm on earth now," she said happily.

All eyes turned to the only person that hadn't spoken all day. She hesitant reached a hand up to hood. The others tried not to show just how interested they were in their mysterious teammate's appearance. What they found wasn't what they expected. Instead of her face, the hood unveiled a bone white smiley face mask. However, the smiley had an eerie quality to it, for it didn't give off a very happy vibe. Thick black curls tumbled over her shoulder with blue shining from the lighting, covering a pair of black headphones. Kage tilted her head in confusion at the deadpanned looks her teammates were giving her.

Superboy began to walk out when he gave an irritated grunt. He stared at the Martian girl in disbelief as she gave him a comforting smile. He held his head and roared, "Get out of my head!"

Everyone stared at the clone with concern before turning their attention to the Martian girl, who watched his reaction in shock. _"What's wrong? I don't understand. Everyone on Mars communicates telepathically,"_ her voice echoed in everyone else's minds as they held their heads in pain.

"M'gnn, stop!" Kaldur ordered sternly.

" _Holy fucking hell that was loud!"_ a southern accented voice echoed in their minds through the link.

Kaldur ignored the extra voice for the moment and began to explain the predicament to the Martian girl, "Things are different on Earth, here your powers are an extreme invasion of privacy."

"Besides, Cadmus's creepy little psychic genomes left a bad taste in his brain," Kid Flash added.

"I-I didn't mean to –"

"Just. Stay. Out," Superboy snarled before storming into the living room. M'gnn looked down in shame at her blunder.

" _You know you can still talk to me if you want. I don't think any of you know sign language,"_ the southern voice gave the Martian comfort before realization set in, and she turned to the voice's source who gave an almost imperceptible nod.

M'gnn suddenly smacked her forehead, "Hello Megan! I know what we can do!" With no other warning, she flew out of the kitchen area, and without any other option, the others followed, leaving Superboy to brood alone. However, Kage stayed behind, her hands shoved in her pockets as she approached the sulking clone.

"What do you want?" he grumbled childishly. Kage as usual said nothing and simply held her hand out to him. Superboy stared at her hand before narrowing his eyes at her masked face. He gave her a small smile and allowed her to help him off the couch. He watched in amusement as the significantly shorter girl pulled his large frame to the elevator with the others.

The elevator went down into the hangar, and Superboy looked down at Kage in veiled curiosity. He knew he could use his x-ray vision to see her face and he tried, however there was a black barrier preventing him from seeing her true appearance. The mask itself should have revealed her appearance due its large black holes where the eyes should be, but whatever the mask didn't cover, the barrier did, for it seemed to allow her to see out but no one to see in. He was brought out of his thoughts at the sight of a big red ball sitting in the middle of the hangar that Miss Martian claimed to be her ship.

"Cute, not aerodynamic, but cute," Kid tried to flirt with the girl even now. You'd think he'd give the girl a break.

This didn't faze M'gnn as she gave a bright smile, "It's at rest silly. I'll wake it." With a wave of her hand, the ship morphed out of its ball-like rest state, and gained the aerodynamic build that flight required. It floated around and opened the door for them, from the back. M'gnn looked back at the shocked and blank faces with a little bit of smug pride, "Well, are you coming?"

Kage pushed her way passed the boys and followed her fellow female on board, her shoulders shaking in silent laughter as the others followed. They watched in awe as the interior of the ship formed itself around them, creating five seats around the pilot's seat in the middle. Kage sat directly in front of the pilot's seat where M'gnn sat and nearly relaxed in her seat as the ship buckled her in.

"Red Tornado, please open the bay doors," M'gnn politely ordered. As if in answer the large doors in front of the ship slowly slid open as two orb shaped panels rose from the floor by M'gnn's hands. Kage observed the ginger placing her hands on them to steer the ship.

"Incredible!" Robin exclaimed happily, watching the scenery.

Wally, however had a different view, and watched with a dopey grin, "She sure is." However once the object of his affections turned to him, he became a stuttering mess, "I mean the ship, which, like all ships is a she."

" **Smooth,"** Kage signed in amusement, catching Aqualad's gaze.

"Fast with his feet, not so much with his mouth," Robin chuckled.

"Dude!" Kid called out incredulously.

Kage pulled her headphones over her head and plugged them into her Samsung Galaxy S5. Blue lights lit up the headphones them to reveal a happy face on the right side and a sad one on the left, much like the one on her mask. The lights of the headphones showed off the blue tint in her hair and gave her mask an almost technical quality. She turned the volume out to drown out any conversation and leaned back into her chair. She was pulled out of her world when Kaldur nudged her side gently and tossed a meaningful look in Superboy's direction.

Kage tugged his sleeve twice to get his attention so Kaldur could give his advice, "I may not have psychic powers but I can guess what you're thinking. You overreacted and you don't know how to apologize. Just say sorry."

Superboy averted his gaze but took his words into consideration. Kage went to put her headphones on when she heard Robin whisper to M'gnn, "He'll come around."

"He doesn't seem to like me much," she whispered back.

"You guys remember he has super hearing right?" all that could be heard was Kage's sigh of exasperation at their antics. How can you forget that a Kryptonian has heightened senses? She patted the boy's shoulder in sympathy for his predicament.

Quick to change the subject, Robin turned to M'gnn, "Hey, how about showing us a little Martian shape shifting."

M'gnn smiled and stood up to show case her skin rippling into a genderbent Robin, then turned into a genderbent Kid Flash with a pose. Wally was practically drooling, "Is it wrong that I think I'm hot?"

Kage caught Superboy and Kaldur's eye and nodded vigorously before giving an exaggerated shudder of disgust. They chuckled at her silent humor.

Robin clapped at the display, "Impressive, but you know you're not exactly gonna fool anyone with those."

M'gnn sighed sadly, "Mimicking boys is a lot harder." Her skin rippled again to show an exact copy of a hoodless Kage.

"And your clothes?" Kaldur asked as she sat back down.

"They're organic like the ship," she replied, tugging at her pink jacket. "They respond to my mental commands."

"As long as they're the only ones," Superboy scowled. He glared down at Kage when she scoldingly smacked his arm and directed his gaze to a crestfallen Martian. His gaze softened, and he gave the smaller girl an apologetic look as she folded her arms.

"Can you do that ghosting through walls thing that Manhunter does?" Kid Flash asked in an attempt to lighten her mood.

M'gnn's brows furrowed in thought, "Density shifting? No, it's a very advanced technique."

"Flash can vibrate his molecules right through a wall." Robin gave an evil chuckle at his next statement, "When he tries it, bloody nose."

"Dude!" Kid cried.

"Here's something I can do," M'gnn said before the outline of the ship vanished from view, "camouflage mode."

Superboy looked down at Kage and bluntly asked, "What can you do?"

Before she could try to sign her answer, Red Tornado called in, "Red Tornado to Miss Martian, an emergency alert has been triggered at the Happy Harbor power plant. I suggest you investigate covertly. I'm sending coordinates."

"Received," M'gnn responded somberly, "adjusting course."

Robin scoffed, "Tornado's keeping us busy again."

M'gnn tried to be optimistic about the situation, "Well, a simply fire led you to Superboy. We should find out what caused the alert."

"I think I know the cause," everyone followed Superboy's gaze to a tornado headed their way.

Kage had black tendrils wrap tightly around her legs as the bioship was tossed around in the rough winds. Miss Martian managed to fly them out of it and landed in the nearby parking lot. They all dropped down to assess the situation. "Robin, are tornados common in New England?" Aqualad turned to where the Boy Wonder once stood for his answers only to find that he wasn't there. "Robin?!"

His cackles echoed from the power plant.

"He was just here," Miss Martian said with an astonished expression as she returned her attention to the building where the windows were being blown out.

They all ran inside to find Robin getting tossed around. "Who's your new friend?" Superboy asked sarcastically as he and Kage came to his aid.

"Didn't catch his name but he plays kind of rough," Kage would have laughed at his choice of words if the situation wasn't so serious.

"My apologies, you may address me as Mister Twister," the large red and black android jeered.

 _Really? He couldn't think of anything better than Mister Twister?_ Kage fell into a fighting stance as the robot pushed tornados from his hands. Superboy tried to force his way through the harsh winds, however Twister tossed him into a wall by forming a cyclone beneath his feet. Everyone fell into offensive stances in preparation for the new threat.

Aqualad gave Miss Martian a small nod. Her uncertain expression melted into one of fierce determination as Kid Flash ran over and tried to kick the android. Twister simply brushed him off and sent him skidding out of the building. Miss Martian and Aqualad tried to deliver a surprise attack, but the android engulfed them in two miniature tornados and sent them flying back. That left only Robin and Kage standing to fight.

"I was prepared to be challenged by a superhero. I was not, however, expecting children."

Robin grit his teeth in frustration as he tossed two at Mister Twister, "We're not children." The android used the wind to deflect the first one and the second one lodged itself in his chest, but he simply flicked it off like a bug.

"Objectively you are," Twister taunted as the weapon exploded in the distance. "Have you no adult supervision? I find your presence here quite disturbing."

"Well we hate to see you disturbed. Let's see if you're more turbed once we kick your can," Robin snarled as the others gathered around him.

Miss Martian used her telekinesis to create a steam cover from the large pipe above the android. Superboy took this chance to lunge at him, only to be pushed back into M'gnn by Twister's tornados. Aqualad, Kage, and Robin dodged them, but before they could attack, Robin and Aqualad were sucked into two tornados and crashed into each other. Kage continued forward, but before Twister could blow her away, she vanished, leaving nothing behind but black wisps. She shot out from his shadow on the wall with a wicked looking knife in hand. She managed to leave a deep scratch into his back before using his shoulders as a foot hold and driving the knife into his shoulder.

She jumped off and formed her hands into to black claws, digging them into the ground in preparation of another wind based attack as the knife faded from existence, leaving only the wound. Instead she received satisfied laughter, "Finally a real challenge. I might get a decent fight yet."

He blasted her full force with tornados, sending her legs into the air, but her claws held firmly to the concrete. She struggled to bring her feet back to the ground in a cat-like crouch. She formed black claws on her feet, and ran at her adversary like a lion chasing its prey. She brought her claws down on Twister's metal body, leaving some nasty cuts in the armor before his blasted her back with tornados. Kage bounced off a wall with a sickening thud and tried to stand back up to fight some more. "Indeed, that was quite turbing, thank you," his voice sounded like he was sneering as he flew away.

The team regained their bearings in time for Miss Martian to catch Kid before he splattered on the side of the power plant. She carefully lowered him down as they approached. "I got you Wally."

"Thanks!" he said gratefully.

Robin took in the damages done to the android and whistled at the sight, turning to the masked face of Kage, "Impressive."

Kage mockingly bowed in reply before returning her attention to Mister Twister as he went on another rant, "I would have that you had all learned your limitations by now."

"What do you want?!" Aqualad snapped irritably.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm waiting for a real hero," Twister basically just called them frauds.

"Read his mind. Find a weakness," Aqualad ordered Miss Martian.

"I thought I wasn't supposed to do that," Miss Martian said nervously.

"It's okay with the bad guys," Robin snapped.

Kage shuffled closer to M'gnn as she attempted to read Twister's mind. "Nothing, I'm getting nothing," realization seemed to strike as she smacked her head again. "Hello Megan! Mister Twister is Red Tornado in disguise! He's inorganic, an android! How many androids do you know that can generate tornados?"

" _That's solid reasoning M'gnn but something doesn't feel right,"_ Kage tried to tell her but she ignored the mental message with her confidence in her logic.

"Red Tornado sent us here," Aqualad pointed out.

"After saying we'd be tested soon enough. This is his test, something to keep us busy," Robin snarled, remembering what Speedy told them at the docks.

"Speedy called it, we're a joke," Kid's shoulders slumped in defeat. The usually peaceful Aqualad punched his hand in frustration and began to approach Twister with Robin and Kid not far behind. "This game is so over."

"We know who you are and what you want," Robin began with a snarl.

"So let's end this," Aqualad finished.

"Consider it ended," Twister said ominously. Alarm bells went off in Kage's head screaming at her that something wasn't right. Twister raised his hands into the air and sent two tornados up, creating a storm cloud over their heads.

"An impressive show, but we will not indulge you. We will not engage," Aqualad held firm to his belief that Twister was Red Tornado. Kage had long abandoned that notion once she pointed out the holes in Miss Martian's theory.

 _If he's Tornado, why would he attack innocent people, much less at a power plant where everything can go wrong? Wouldn't it have been safer for someone like Batman or Martian Manhunter to test us considering all the possible damage that tornados can cause?_ Kage was brought out of her thoughts when lightning started flashing around Mister Twister. _I don't think Red Tornado is capable of calling lightning._

"Uh, can Red Tornado do that?" Kid asked uncertainly.

"You think I'm Tornado? Ironic," Twister said before bringing lightning down on the heroes. Kage and Superboy were the only ones of their team left standing. Superboy and Kage jumped at the android only to be struck down, but the clone grabbed his teammate's leg and threw her at Twister. Kage landed on the android and formed a black knife in her hand, she managed to stab the android once more before be thrown back down, creating a crater where she crashed. Twister lowered himself to the ground in order to finish them off, however they vanished from his sight. "Fine then, I won't deny you children have power. The hooded one even managed to damage me, but playing hide and seek with you will not help me achieve my objectives, so stay concealed. If you confront me again I will show no mercy." Twister flew off once more, leaving the teen heroes to lick their wounds.

"What happened?" Kid asked Miss Martian in disbelief.

"I placed the bioship between us," she answered nervously.

Superboy destroyed a large rock in a fit of rage, "And that's supposed to make it right? You tricked us into thinking Twister was Red Tornado."

"She didn't do it on purpose," Aqualad said, coming to her defense.

"It was a rookie mistake. We shouldn't have listened," Robin said, unwittingly destroying the Martian girl's self-esteem.

Even Kid Flash agreed, "You are pretty inexperienced. Hit the showers we'll take it from here."

"Stay out of our way," Superboy snarled, walking away from her with barely a glance back.

Kage had had enough. She grabbed Superboy by his arm and yanked him back to the team, earning a harsh glare in which she returned ten-fold. All eyes were on her as she pointed to Miss Martian and pointed at her head. Getting the message she linked the team up with the silent teammate with a lot to say to them. _"I've had just about as much as I can take. You're a team, fucking act like it! Without a solid plan how the hell do you think you're going to win?"_ She mentally snarled at all of them, directing the last part to Superboy, and felt satisfaction when they looked down in shame.

"So what do you want us to do?" Superboy demanded with an angry scowl.

He could practically feel the glare she was sending him, _"I want you to stop blaming M'gnn, pull on your big boy pants, and get your shit together. You're all disorganized and attacking Twister individually and blindly. You need to work off each other if we're gonna take him down. I have a plan, so listen up numbnuts 'cuz I'll only say it once."_

Mister Twister was terrorizing Happy Harbor. He brought tornados down into the water, throwing many of the boats into the small town. "Certainly this will get my required attention."

"You got ours, full and undivided!" Kid Flash shouted as he sped over to the android and kicked him back.

"Inferior and insufficient, you are a distraction I can no longer tolerate," Twister growled in outrage,

Superboy lunged for Mister Twister, but the large android easily dodged him. The clone fell into a ready a stance with a determined scowl as Twister sent tornados his way. Superboy went to lunge at Twister again, but Twister threw a boat, putting swift an end to the assault before directing his attention to Robin and Aqualad who had vaulted over a car in their charge. Aqualad managed to dodge a cyclone sent his way but got tossed into an apartment complex. Kid tried to rush him but got thrown into the ground and chased by a tornado. Robin tossed some birdarangs but they got caught in the tornados he used to block them as he dodged a punch from Superboy. The clone got tossed yards away by a cyclone from under his feet. Superboy and a boat that was thrown at him landed in the apartment complex, making it collapse around him.

Aqualad threw the boat's motor at the android, only for it to be deflected by a tornado. Just as the four boys were going to assault the android again, Red Tornado flew in. "Hit the showers boys. I was hoping you could handle this, clearly you cannot," he said coldly.

"But we've got a plan now," Robin pleaded.

"The subject is not up for debate," he said, leaving no room for argument.

"I was beginning to believe you'd never show up," Twister taunted.

"I'm here now," Tornado said before sending a tornado at Twister, who swallowed it with a larger one in which he sent at the other android. Red Tornado simply dissipated the cyclone. "We are evenly matched Twister," he observed, creating a tornado behind him.

"No tornado, we are not," Twister, punched the ground, pushing up a wall of air to protect him from the rocks that were thrown out of the tornado, and shooting lightning at the red android. However, as Red Tornado dodged the bolts, he got caught in the explosion of a boat that got struck, falling limply to the ground. "Remain still android, the reprogramming won't take long," wires and plugs came from Twister's hands and connected to Tornado's skull.

However, "Tornado" reached up and grabbed the wires, his face morphing to reveal M'gnn. "Longer than you might think," she gave him a smug grin.

In his shock, Twister got pushed into an oncoming tornado by M'gnn that dissipated to reveal Kid standing proudly. He tumbled on the ground into a punch from Superboy, as the clone grabbed his arm to repeated punch holes in the android. With one good punch, he sent the android flying into the harbor where Aqualad met him underwater. He hit Twister with a piece of ship and electrocuted him with his Atlantean magic, sending flying out of the water into Kage's hands. She jumped up, grabbing the android's head with a black clawed hand as they flew up, and positioned herself on what was left of its chest, holding tightly to its head as they came crashing to the ground, the force of which causing the arm that was barely hanging on by a few wires to fly off. Kage hopped off Twister when his back arched upward.

Finally Miss Martian, grabbed him in her telekinetic grip. She ripped off his remaining arm and held him up as Robin threw some birdarangs into his back, and the Martian released him.

The android landed flat on his face and barely managed to push himself onto his knees to face the team before him, and Kage folded her arms, glad that her plan went exceptionally well. Twister's chest opened to reveal a small man and the team watched him warily as he fell out. "Foul! I-I call foul!" he pleaded. However, Kage and Miss Martian were unconvinced by the act.

Miss Martian looked at the masked girl, _"You can sense it too?"_

Kage nodded, _"He's not organic or human."_

" _That's all I needed to know,"_ M'gnn nodded solemnly and brought a large boulder down on the "man."

Seeing this, Aqualad tried to stop her, "M'gnn no!"

Robin stormed up to them pure anger in his voice, "Don't know how things are done on Mars, but on Earth, we don't execute our captives." Kage's claws dissolved and pushed her hand into Robin's chest to cut off his next rebuttal. He angrily shoved her hand off and glared at her masked face, "What?!"

Kage simply pointed at the broken android that was crushed under M'gnn's boulder. "That's why I couldn't read his mind," M'gnn proudly stated.

Kid picked up one the robot's eyeballs and examined it closely with a smirk, "Cool, souvenir."

"We should have had more faith in you," Aqualad said, putting a hand on the Martian's shoulder. Kage cleared her throat loudly, and Kaldur gave her an amused smile, "And you too Kage."

"Yeah, you girls rocked this mission. Get it? Rocked?" Kid Flash tried in vain to get everyone to laugh at his joke.

"Ignore him," Robin stated simply. "We're all just turbed you're on the team."

Kage caught sight of something glowing red and turned to find that one of the eyes was probably recording the conversation. She glared down at the eye and crushed the robotic skull, ending the transmission. She turned back to the conversation and was pleased to see her Martian friend smiling excitedly, "Thanks, me too."

They went back to the cave to talk to Tornado about Mister Twister. "It was clearly created to sabotage or destroy you," Aqualad pointed out.

"Agreed," Tornado's robotic voice answered. He looked down at Kage when she knocked on his arm.

"Is that why you wouldn't help us?" Miss Martian asked curiously.

"No," he answered simply, "this was your battle, I do not believe it is my role to solve your problems for you, nor should you solve mine for me."

They all looked at him solemnly, knowing what he was implying. M'gnn nervously tried to convince him otherwise. "B-but if you're in danger…" she trailed off.

"Consider this matter closed," he firmly ordered.

Kage, however knocked on his arm to gain his attention. She needed to relay some important information. **"The eyes were recording everything that was happening. I think it was to confirm that you were here should the android be destroyed,"** she signed carefully.

Red Tornado stared at her for a bit before nodding in understanding, "I will take this into consideration."

"Wait, you understood that?" Kid asked in disbelief.

"Indeed," Red Tornado said before taking his leave.

Robin and Kid stared after him. "Batman, Aquaman, and Flash, they'd have jumped right in t fix things," Wally pointed out.

"Guess if we're gonna have a babysitter, a heartless machine is exactly what we need," Robin gestured to Red Tornado with furrowed brows.

"Dude, harsh," Kid admonished.

"And inaccurate," Tornado corrected, "I have a heart made of carbon steel alloy." He turned back to his charges, "I also have excellent hearing."

Robin gave an embarrassed smile, "Right, sorry, I'll strive to be more accurate."

"And more respectful," Aqualad added, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. Seemingly satisfied with that, the android continued down the hall.

"Speedy was so wrong," Wally grinned.

"This team thing," Robin started.

"Might just work out," Kaldur finished as they left the room, leaving Kage, Superboy, and M'gnn.

The clone stared at the green skinned girl and said one word, "Sorry." Kage walked with away with him when she saw that there was more he wanted to say, and M'gnn stared after them with a content smile.

The pair stopped in front of the Zeta Tubes and Kage crossed her arms over her chest, tilting her head expectantly. The clone seemed to be trying to carefully say what was on his mind. "Thanks for today. I know I'm not the easiest to deal with and I got out of line with M'gnn, so thanks for setting me straight," he sighed, not meeting her mask's unwavering gaze.

Kage grinned from under her mask at the apology from the Boy of Steel, and reached up to pat his shoulder comfortingly, as if to say, "No problem." Superboy seemed to get the message and gave her a small smile. She waved at him before walking into the teleporter to go back home to Star City. _Wait till Roy here's about this._

 **Hey everybody, HiddenBerserker here and I'd like first say that this is my first successful Young Justice fic that I'm putting on this site. Yay me! Like many here, I loved the Young Justice series and was sad to here that there wouldn't be another season. I'd also like to thank shishiwastaken for helping get rid of my writer's block. If you have any questions about Kage or anything else, please ask me in the reviews and I'll answer them to the best of my abilities. That's it for this chapter. See you all in my next update!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This is Berserker with the new chapter and I'm happy to see so many positive responses. While I'm typing this I'd like to thank some people and answer some questions.**

 **TheAsterousAuthor: You asked if Kage was her real name. Of course not! I'm too evil to give you her name now. Also I dropped various hints in the last chapter as to what Kage's powers are.**

 **alice (Guest): I appreciate that you love Kage's character. I based her personality off my mom, therefore she takes no one's shit. Don't worry my mom isn't mute, though I would love to meet such a person.**

 **PrettyKitty Luvs U: There's more to Kage than attitude and power, as you'll come to see in this up and coming chapter.**

 **Guest: No, Kage isn't Japanese, but there is a reason for being named as such. Also, every time I googled Megan's name it came out as M'gnn for her Martian name. If you want to hate on anyone, it's google.**

 **Lola(Guest): Same goes for you.**

 **TurtleLynn: Bring your ass back to life to enjoy more of Kage's badassery.**

 **Now on to the disclaimer!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN YOUNG JUSTICE OR ITS CHARACTERS. THE RIGHT IS STRICTLY RESERVED FOR DC. IF I DID OWN YOUNG JUSTICE WE'D HAVE A SEASON 3 AND JASON, TULA, AND WALLY WOULDN'T HAVE DIED.**

"Talking"

 _Thoughts_

" _Mind link"_

" **Sign language"**

" **Coms"**

 **STAR CITY**

 **JUNE 22, 8:30 ECT**

Kage woke, barely able to breathe, but it was for a different reason than usual. Roy had decided that it was a good idea to wake her up by jumping on her back. Currently she lay face down in her pillow, with an arm hanging off the side of the bed in exasperation. She grabbed the notepad at the side on her nightstand and blindly wrote, "Get off fatass," on it before reaching back and placing it over his folded arms that pillowed his head.

"One, I'm not fat. Two, aren't supposed to be going on a mission today?" the archer asked his mute friend. "C'mon Smiles, it's time to get up."

After a few second of silence, he felt the girl's body rise and fall with a sigh before pushing her torso up off the bed. She turned her body to the left to glare pointedly at her friend as he held his hands out in surrender. Once the door closed behind him, Kage dragged herself out of bed, knowing that her ginger friend couldn't cook to save his life. She took care of her morning hygiene, grabbed her mask and, stumbled down the hall to the kitchen. She smiled from under her mask when she saw the ingredients for grits and hash browns on the counter. _He knows the ingredients but he can't cook worth shit,_ she thought in amusement.

The mute waved her housemate into the kitchen, signaling that breakfast was ready. They ate in companionable silence and spent the entire day watching Ridiculousness and playing Innuendo Bingo. By the time 7:00 rolled around, Roy and Kage were rolling on the floor laughing. Kage's body was trembling in her attempts to calm down before she left the apartment. Roy, dressed as Speedy, walked Kage to the Zeta transporter disguised as a blue out of order police box. When Kage first used it, she gasped, thinking it was like the TARDIS, but of course, Roy killed her nerdy vibe when he shoved her through.

Before she could enter the police box, Roy pulled her into a hug and whispered into her ear, "Be careful little sis. If something happens to you, how will I eat?"

Kage's shoulders shook in silent laughter but took his warning into account before teleporting into the cave. She walked straight up to the team that had already gathered and nodded to Batman in greeting as he pulled up a map of Santa Prisca. He nodded back before he began to debrief the team on their mission. "Isla Santa Prisca, this island nation is the source of an illegal neurosteroid, a strength enhancing drug sold in the street named Venom." Kage tensed at the memory of a particularly horrible run in with someone on Venom. "Infrared heat signatures indicate that their factory is still operating at full capacity, but all shipments of Venom have been inexplicably cut off. That's where this team comes in. This is a covert recon mission only, observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will. The plan requires two drop zones," Batman put stress on the word covert.

"So who's in charge?" Robin asked, feigning disinterest.

Batman and Red Tornado exchanged a look before turning back to the group of teenagers before them, "Work that out between you." Robin nodded in understanding before giving a smirk that Kage didn't particularly like.

 **CARRIBEAN SEA**

 **JUNE 22, 20: 08 ECT**

The bioship was silent due to all its occupants being lost in thought. Kage leaned back in her seat with her headphones over her ears. She had her head tilted back, revealing the black cloth of the sleeveless turtleneck she wore under her hoodie, her hands were folded in her lap and her eyes were closed in thought. _Who'll be our leader? Robin has the most experience out of all of them, but is he mature enough to handle the responsibility? Superboy is too brash and thinks with his fists. Kid is a definite no. M'gnn is too eager to please everyone. I sure as hell don't want to lead these guys. I'm pretty sure I'd end up strangling someone, so that leaves Kaldur. He seems like the best candidate so far._ Kage was brought from her musings by a hand resting on her shoulder, she turned to find Aqualad watching her carefully.

He seemed as though he wanted to say something. "I think you should be our leader," she didn't see that coming. She shook her head vigorously and held her arms in an X before tilting her head curiously.

Taking that as his que to explain, Aqualad cleared his throat and whispered his answer, "You brought us together as a team for the Mister Twister situation. I thought that you would be the best choice to keep us together." Kage could have sworn she saw a light red tint to his cheeks. She shook her head and pointed at the Atlantean.

His eyes widened in shock, "You want me to lead?" Kage nodded firmly, confident in her choice.

He opened his mouth to protest but Miss Martian, cut him off, "We're approaching Santa Prisca. "

Everyone seemed to come back to the present as she took her headphones off and put her phone in a panel that M'gnn had told her the bioship made to store her things. "Drop Zone A in 30," she announced.

Kage and Aqualad rose, their seats sinking into the ship. Aqualad touched his emblem and his suit became darker to better blend in. Kage formed black rings below and above her, and as they ran over her body they changed her baggy outfit into a navy blue one piece with black bandages running over her arms and legs, keeping her skin hidden. To top it all off, she tapped her mask to invert the coloring. Aqualad, Kid, and Robin's jaws dropped at the sight of Kage's generous bust, powerfully thick thighs, and large ass. Kaldur cleared his throat, trying to ignore the heat crawling up his neck, "Ready." Kage nodded in agreement.

"Putting bioship in camouflage mode," the ship vanished from view as they neared the island.

A hole opened up for Aqualad Kage, and they dived out into the ocean. They swam around the mines, and cut the net that barred their path. Aqualad shot out of the water followed by Kage. She watched for any danger as he took care of the heat and motion sensors. While he reported in, Kage stretched her senses out and sensed two brigades of shadows closing in on each other across the island, not far from where the bioship was landing.

She quickly changed back to her usual attire and led the Atlantean towards the cliff in the distance. Once there she watched as he slowly began to climb up the cliff side. She smirked under her mask and jumped onto her shadow, going through it and jumping out at the top of the cliff. She looked down over the cliff side and saw Aqualad struggling to climb up. She lifted her mask a little to put her fingers to her lips, but before she could get his attention, the ground shook and Aqualad started to slip. Without thinking, she reached into her shadow, grabbed his wrist from the black circle that form in front of him, and pulled him to through to land next to her. He was panting from the shock of almost falling to his death. "Thanks," he said breathlessly before finally composing himself. She nodded to him before picking herself off the ground.

" **Aqualad, Drop B is a go,"** Miss Martian reported over the com link.

"Head for the factory, Kage will track you and rendezvous ASAP," he replied calmly as he began to follow the mute girl.

" **I still don't understand how that works,"** Kage could feel the confusion on Kid's face.

Kage began to sign her explanation and Aqualad relayed the answer to Kid, "She says that she can feel the presence of our shadows and she can use it to keep track of us so long as we're in her sensory field." Ever since their first meeting, Kage took it upon herself to teach her friends sign language so that they could better understand her. Of course, M'gnn always knew what she was saying, but the rest of the team needed it if they wanted to understand her if something happened to the Martian girl. Kage would often make a game out of it where her friends would have to guess what she signed and the person with the most correct answers would get a prize of their choice.

" **What if you can't see your shadow?"** Miss Martian asked curiously.

Aqualad looked to his short friend for answers. **"Just because you can see your shadow doesn't mean your shadow can't see you. Just because they fade into the background doesn't mean they're not there,"** she answered. Aqualad relayed the message.

" **Roger that,"** Robin whispered.

Kage sensed danger approaching her teammate's location and began to pick up the pace. Aqualad didn't question it and followed after her, easily keeping pace. However, Aqualad noticed how tense Kage was and decided to caution his teammates, "Superboy, Kid, switch to infrared. See if you're being tracked."

Kage absentmindedly shook her head to them being tracked, but her shoulders didn't relax. **"Got a squad of armed bozos incoming,"** Kid reported.

" **Two squads,"** Superboy corrected as Kage held up two fingers, **"but they'll meet each other before they find us."**

Kage's shoulders tensed even further at the sound of gunshots firing off in the distance. **"No super hearing required now,"** Kid said sarcastically.

"Swing wide, steer clear –"

"Yeah, yeah, just as soon as I find Rob," Kid answered absentmindedly.

Kage's fists clenched when she heard Kid falling and the gunfire pause. **"So much for the stealthy,"** Kid said in dismay before the gunfire started up again, most likely aimed at him.

Aqualad watched Kage's shoulders slump in defeat with a resigned sigh. The Atlantean grabbed her shoulder and slowed to a stop. "There is no need to worry. They'll be fine," he said reassuringly. He watched the mute carefully as she took deep breaths before she forced her shoulders to relax and nodded to him. Once they began to run again, Kage began to block out the sound of battle quietly prayed that her friends were okay. That is until she finally heard from Robin.

" **What is wrong with you guys?!"** she heard him demand. **"Remember covert?! Why didn't you follow my lead and vanish into the jungle?!**

All other conversation flew out of Kage's mind as she got more and more frustrated with the fact that the mission was turning out just like Mister Twister because there was no clear leader. Robin wanted to be the leader but he ran off and expected his teammates to understand and follow. That kind of thing may have worked with Batman, but it wouldn't work with a new team that doesn't know how to work to each other's advantage. Kage needed something to take her frustrations out on, and she found that something when she found a grunt getting away from the clearing her friends were in. Before Aqualad could stop her, she dropped down into his path and knocked him out with one clean punch to the face that would most likely bruise, crushing his gun under her boot. Her hand disappeared in the shadows of the jungle and reappeared with a two coils of black rope, tossing them to Robin and Kid's feet without looking at them.

They had to squint to see her sign to them. **"Tie them up. Now,"** if it was possible for someone to snap at you in sign language, Kage made it happen. Robin knew for his own safety that he shouldn't argue.

After the armies were tied up and Kage calmed down, she and Robin noticed something familiar about one group's uniforms. "I recognize those uniforms," he said, and Kage nodded in agreement. "They belong to the Cult of the Cobra."

"I am certain Batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's Venom operation," Aqualad pointed out with furrowed brows.

"Agreed," Robin confirmed, "and since there's clearly no love lost between the cultists and those goons, I'm betting Cobra came and tossed them out. That's why normal supply lines have been cut off."

Kid rolled his eyes at his friend, "We get it. Cobra wanted super cultists, mystery solved. Let's radio Bats and we'll home in time for –"

"These cultists aren't on Venom. Cobra's hoarding the stuff. We don't leave. Not until I know why," Robin correct, narrowing his eyes at Kid.

"Until _you_ know why?" Kid asked incredulously.

"This team needs a leader," Robin argued.

"And it's you?" Kid scoffed. "Dude you're a 13 year old kid who ducked out on us without a word."

Robin barked a laugh at this, "And you're a mature 15. You blew our cover first chance you got!"

While those two argue, much to Kage's chagrin, Miss Martian, Superboy, and Kage had a conversation of their own. "Don't you want to lead?" the ginger asked Superboy who scoffed and shook his head.

"You?"

"After the Mister Twister fiasco?" she asked dubiously.

Superboy surprised her when he gave her a small assuring smile, "You did alright."

She turned away with a blush on her cheeks and a shy smile. "What about you Kage? Do you want to – Kage?" Miss Martian looked where her mute friend once stood to see that she wasn't there anymore. She scanned the clearing to see her storming over to Robin and Kid. Knowing that this wouldn't end well, she and Superboy followed in case something happened.

"Yeah? You don't even have super powers!" Kid sneered.

"Neither does Batman!" Robin snarled defensively.

"Duh! You're not Batman," Kid nearly yelled in frustration.

"Duh," Robin said mockingly, "closest thing we've got!

Kage stopped right in front of Kid and Robin and looked back and forth between them as they continued to disagree. Patience running thin, her hands reached up and latched onto their ears, bringing them down to her height ignoring their protest and let her anger role off her in waves that made the shadows of the jungle writhe in an eerie manner. The two young heroes watched nervously as Kage turned to Miss Martian and nodded. They felt the familiar buzz of the telepathic link but nearly trembled in fear at the sound of Kage's voice. _"Would you two stop arguing for five minutes so we can understand what's going on?!"_ she tightened her grip on their ears to get her point across. _"Robin, I get that you want to be the leader, but you have to let us know what the plan. Only one of us is telepathic, and even then, she only uses it on her enemies,"_ she saw the satisfied look on Kid's face, but she wasn't about to let him go either. _"And you! I need you to actually listen when someone is trying to warn you about something! Stop trying to one up Rob and stay with the team. If you guys want to be the leader, then grow the fuck up! Arguing didn't work in kindergarten, and it's not gonna work with me! Now shut your traps so we can finish this mission."_

Both boys nodded their heads submissively, eyes wide with fear as they answered in perfect unison, "Yes ma'am."

Kage nodded in satisfaction before abruptly letting them go to rub their burning ears and nurse their bruised egos. She heaved a long suffering sigh when she saw them glaring at each other over her head. _Close enough_. Everyone came out of their own thoughts and conversations when one the tied up goons wearing a wrestling masked began to laugh at them. "Such clever niños, but you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest, get you into the factory via my secret entrance," Kage didn't trust the man, and it was obvious with one look at Superboy that he was hiding something from the knowing scowl he had on his face.

Miss Martian knelt down and focused on his mind, "There is a secret entrance, but he's also hiding something." Her eyes glowed as she attempted to unveil his secrets.

The man gave her a dark smile, "Ah, ah, ah chica. Bane is not that easy."

The ginger sighed in frustration, "He's mentally reciting football scores en Español. This could take a while."

"It's not complicated. The enemy of my enemy is my friend," his rasped. He made a good argument, but he was a villain. Kage watched them exchange looks before Aqualad nodded at her with a stern look. She sighed, and waved her hand over his bindings, dissipating them. He took them to a cliff that overlooked the factory. Kage folded her arms and glared at Bane while Robin was surveying the factory. Feeling her glare, Bane gave what she could only assume was supposed to be a charming smirk, "What's the matter chica? Don't trust me?"

Without missing a beat, she held a dagger to his throat. Superboy chuckled amusement at his failed attempt, "No, she doesn't."

Sadly, this didn't deter Bane, "She'll come around. They all do." The mute and clone exchanged a look before they both shuddered in disgust. Superboy pat his friend's back sympathetically.

"Look at all that product," Robin said. "A buy is going down, but if Cobra's not selling to the usual suspects then…"

"We need to identify that buyer," Aqualad said solemnly.

"Just what I was thinking," agreed Kid.

"Yeah, you're the thinker," Robin said mockingly.

"Sarcasm? Dude, a real leader would focus on getting answers," Kid admonished.

Before another argument could break out, Kage cleared her throat, catching the boy's attention. She nodded her head in satisfaction when they abruptly clamped their mouths shut before following Superboy and Miss Martian to where Bane was removing a boulder from the entrance to an old mine shaft. "Answers are this way," he said with his usual smug grin.

Bane watched Kage with an intense vulgar gaze as she warily approached the mine shaft. "After you, señora," he said, gesturing into to the tunnel. When Bane attempted to put his hand on the small of her back she grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm behind back before forcing him to the ground. She stomped her boot into her back and held firmly to his arm, daring him to try that again and risk the dislocation of his arm. They only reason she hadn't dislocated it already is because Aqualad pulled her off him by her shoulder.

"Don't let him get to you," he warned.

She sighed before calmly signing, **"Fine but if he tries to flirt with me again, I'm giving him a broken eye and a black nose."**

The Atlantean gave her a puzzled look, "Don't you mean a black eye and broken nose?"

Kage held her head up proudly, **"I know what I signed."** Aqualad tried to hide his chuckles at the mute girl's sense of humor. They finally came to a door that Bane had to use his thumb print to unlock it. It slid open to reveal the interior of the factory. On Robin's mark, they slipped in, however the Boy Wonder had disappeared from sight by the time they reached a certain point.

"Has that little fool already been caught?" Bane asked irritably.

Aqualad and Kage sighed in unison, "No, he just does that."

"Stay put, I'll get our intel and be back before the Boy Wonder," the speedster took off before they could stop him.

"Wait, Kid!" Aqualad hissed. Kage facepalmed(masked?) and heaved a long suffering sigh.

"Great chain of command," Bane's sarcasm was not appreciated.

Kage led them all behind a few crates of Venom where they had a good view of who the buyer would be once they arrived. "It's a massive shipment," the Atlantean observed.

"Yeah, but they're only taking new product off the line. They're not touching this Venom," Superboy added.

"Maybe freshness counts," Miss Martian tried to have some helpful input.

Kage saw Bane actually consider it before he shrugged noncommittally. "A helicopter's coming," Superboy said, meaning it was time for them to be quiet or get caught. Kage cast her senses out and indeed she felt the shadow of a helicopter moving over the jungle. She teleported them onto a catwalk overlooking the factory and watched as Miss Martian turned invisible so she could spy on the buyer.

Kage watched in anticipation as the helicopter landed, and she couldn't decide whether to run away or attack at the feel of a familiar shadow she wished she'd never sense again. The mental image she sent to them didn't help her situation at all. "Sportsmaster," Aqualad confirmed Kage's fear and barely contained rage burned through her soul.

"He is the buyer?" he said in disbelief. Kage put her feelings about the assassin aside and tried to radio Red Tornado with Aqualad. "Aqualad to Red Tornado: do you read?" Hearing nothing but static, he turned to Kage only to find that she got the same result. He grunted in frustration, "Can't reach the League, Robin, or Kid, the com's jammed. We need a plan, now."

Before Kage could begin to sign her plan, Bane interrupted with an evil smirk, "I have a suggestion." With a battle cry, Bane jumped down from the catwalk onto two unsuspecting cultists. He tossed one away and grabbed the other's gun as he was going to shoot, gaining the attention of everyone that was outside.

"What is he –" Aqualad was cut off by a loud, feral roar as a large humanoid creature crashed the window they were standing under. Kage barely moved away in time to avoid being crushed as the catwalk went crashing down. They warily watched the creature as he roared at them.

"Destroy them!" Cobra barked at the creature. Kage fell into an offensive stance as the creature charged at them with an army of cultists in tow. Superboy charged at the creature and they began tossing each other around as Aqualad and Kage readied themselves for the onslaught of cultists. The Atlantean pulled the mute in front of him, curling around her as he created a shield with one of his water bearers and used the other to shoot water bullets at his enemies. Kage snapped her fingers and watched as the cultist's shadows lifted off the ground to become solid, and began to attack them. They tried to shoot the shadows down, but the bullets only went through them.

Aqualad's jaw dropped at the sight, but the sound of labored breathing brought his gaze back down to Kage to find that she was shaking with the effort to keep the shadow soldiers corporeal. She sighed in relief when she saw some of the cultists get tossed around without even meeting the shadow soldiers, no doubt Miss Martian's work. If she squinted she could see the outline of her Martian friend as she knocked the cultists out. Kage froze when she saw Sportsmaster pull out one of his exploding javelins and wished she could cry out a warning to her friend when she saw the assassin throw it at her. She watched in horror as the javelin exploded and the Martian went flying.

Kage used the shadows to help expand Aqualad's shield as they slowly backed up behind a bunch of boilers. Kage sensed two cultists coming out from behind before Kid sped in and knocked them away. Unfortunately one of the cultists managed to shoot Kage in the thigh, forcing the girl to swallow back a scream. "Kage!" Aqualad shouted as the girl's leg nearly gave out. He made her lean into him as he called out to his green teammate. "Miss Martian! Radio is jammed! Link us up!" he ordered urgently.

Soon Kage felt the familiar tingling of her Martian friend connecting to her mind, _"Everyone on line?"_

" _Yeah,"_ Superboy grunted.

" _You know it beautiful,"_ of course Kid would try to flirt while there's a hailstorm of bullets raining down on him. Would you expect anything less.

" _In pain, but I'll live,"_ Kage hissed as the wound started throbbing. She pressed a hand to the wound as black blood began to ooze from the bullet hole.

" _Good we need to regroup,"_ Aqualad said urgently.

" _Busy now,"_ Robin whined.

" _Oh hell no! Robin, get your ass over here right the fuck now or I'll make your shadow drag you here kicking and screaming! I'm injured and we're out gunned, we need to get out!"_ Kage snapped, for the Boy Wonder had finally worn her patience too thin.

Aqualad created a water whip and used it to get rid of some of the cultists on the catwalk, _"We need to retreat. Kid, clear a path."_

Kage pulled black tendrils out of the darkest portions of the factory and used them to help Kid clear a path for a clean escape. Aqualad pulled her onto his back and ran out into the mine shaft. She saw Superboy close the door, only for the Cobra Venom creature to tear it down as if it were made of paper. Kage glanced over her shoulders to see cultists standing in a neat line as they shot at them. _"Superboy, help me take out the support beams!"_ Kage called out as she used the shadows of the support beams to push them out of place enough for the clone to break through them without having to stop. Her grip on Aqualad's neck tightened as the mined shaft began to collapse on itself.

"Kage, can you see the glow stick that's in my belt?" Aqualad asked hoping that his assumptions were correct about Kage having night vision. He felt Kage nod and nearly dropped her when he felt her hand brush his side when she grabbed the glow stick. He played it off as adjusting his grip as she cracked the tool to allow her teammates to see.

"How could my first mission as leader go so wrong?" Robin asked in disappointment.

"You do have the most experience, but perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined. You two do not need to talk, but this team is new, and the leader must clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan," Kage nodded her head at the point she was trying to get across.

" _He's right. I've been trying to tell you that. I may be new to the hero scene, but I know for a fact that when you have a new team, you have to tell them what needs to be done for your plan to work as leader. You have to bring them to the point where they don't need to speak to understand the plan."_

"Oh so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands," the Boy Wonder snapped before sighing in defeat. "Who am I kidding? You should lead us Kaldur you're the only one who can."

Kid scoffed at this, "Please, I can run circles –"

"Wally c'mon, you know he's the one. We all do," Robin scolded.

"Hello Megan! It's so obvious," M'gnn agreed enthusiastically.

"Could have told ya," Superboy added.

All eyes turned back to the speedster, who finally smiled in acceptance, "Okay."

The Atlantean turned his head to the mute girl on his back. She slowly slid off and walked unobstructed around him to stand in face him. He looked down at her thigh to see that it looked as if she'd never been shot, "You knew I would be the leader from the very beginning." Kage didn't deny this, she never wanted that responsibility on her shoulders again, and she knew that no one else was ready for it just yet, so Kaldur was the most obvious choice.

He turned back to Robin and walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Then I accept the burden until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders, but," he said with a small smirk, "I would like Kage to be my second in command." Kage stiffened, reflexively trying to sign in protest, however Kaldur brought her hands down and gave her a knowing look, "You seem to have the most experience with teamwork and know how to help us work to our advantage. I need your help if this team will work."

Kage sighed in exasperation, _"You won't take no for an answer, will you?"_ She looked to her teammates to find them all smirking and shaking their heads before her shoulders slumped in defeat. _"Fine, someone has to keep you jackasses in line,"_ she insulted half-heartedly.

Kaldur finally returned his gaze to Robin, "You were born to lead this team, maybe not now, but soon." Robin gave a small smile and nodded in acceptance of this. "Alright, our first priority is preventing that shipment from leaving this island."

The team gathered around their newly appointed leader. "Funny, I had the same thought," Robin smirked. They began to run out of the mine shaft together and Robin pulled up his holocomputer, "Sportsmaster is the supplier slash buyer, but it still doesn't track. He doesn't have the juice to acquire the Blockbuster formula, or to get Cobra to do his dirty work."

"And neither of them have the chops to bond Blockbuster with Venom, that took some major nerdage," Kid pointed out.

"I believe the expression is tip of the iceberg," Aqualad said as they came to a stop at the mouth of the mine. There before them stood bane with various vials of Venom at his feet and a detonator in hand.

"Halt niños," he said. "I'm feeling explosive."

They looked up to find bombs spread out over their heads so if the blast didn't kill them, the collapsing mine would. "You betrayed us. Why?" Aqualad asked, pretending to sound shocked. Kage zoned out as Bane launched into the usual supervillain monologue of how their evil plan is supposed to work. _"Kid you'll need a running start,"_ he ordered mentally. The speedster quietly backed away as not to tip Bane off as to what's about to happen.

" _Question. Why do villains always go into this long and boring monologue about how there plan works? Not that I'm complaining, but they're basically telling us how to stop them,"_ Kage asked offhandedly.

" _I don't know. I guess it's because they don't expect us to live long enough to stop them, but then the hero usually escapes and defeats the villain,"_ Robin hypothesized.

" _You'd think they'd learn after all the times they get beat up and sent to jail,"_ Kage mentally snorted, rolling her eyes under her mask.

"…Blowing the tunnel with you inside should have the same effect," Bane pressed his finger down to find that his detonator was gone.

"With what, this trigger thingy," Kid asked with a smug smirk as he held out the detonator tauntingly.

Bane went to punch the speedster, only to be subdued by black tendrils that rose from the ground and turned him to face Kage. Superboy walked up behind her, cracking his knuckles. "Finally," he turned to her with an excited grin, "drop him."

Kage obeyed and the tendril unceremoniously let go of the criminal making him fall right into Superboy's punch. The mute girl put and hand over the eyes of her masked and watched how far Bane flew with a low whistle before giving the clone a thumbs up.

Soon it was time to get a plan into action, the team huddled around Kage as she began to mentally give them their roles.

* * *

At the helipad, Sportsmaster was about to make off with the case of Cobra Venom when a blur of black and red rushed by, taking out cultists as it went. "Take the shipment!" Cobra ordered the assassin. A pair of cultists raised their guns at Kid only for Superboy to drop in and knock them out.

"Go again?" he taunted the Cobra Venom creature known as Mammoth. He batted Kid away and lunged for the clone, only to be blasted off course by a jet stream of water. "Sorry, not the plan," he smirked as he turned to Aqualad, who had been pulling water out of the nearby river. However, soon Sportsmaster began shooting at the clone.

Kage remedied that by dropping down on the man as he closed in on the clone. Her clawed hand grabbed his head and brutally smashed it into the ground as she landed. Sportsmaster held his head in pain before her cracked an eye open to glare at Kage before his eyes widened and his skin paled. "Y-you!" he shouted in recognition of Kage's powers before lunging at her in a fit of fear and rage. "You're supposed to be dead!" he snarled as he punched and kicked at the small girl, only for her to calmly dodge all of his attacks. When he tried to punch her in the face, she side stepped it and grabbed his arm, before slamming him into the ground twice, Hulk style.

However when Miss Martian tried to help, Sportsmaster managed to pull her into a headlock and put the gun to her head. He slowly backed into the helicopter, "Thanks for the workout, but I've got to fly. Nice seeing ya again Kage." He threw Miss Martian at the girl who caught her with her black tendrils and gently lowered her to the ground, holding her there as the helicopter took off. She, Superboy, and Kage shared a look as the Martian girl held the detonator in her hand. What, did you expect them to let perfectly good bombs go to waste? Miss Martian tossed the detonator to Kage who watched the helicopter for a bit before detonating the bombs, causing it to crash right into the factory, creating a grand explosion. Kage vaguely wondered how Bane was taking that from his special seat tied to a tree overlooking said factory.

Kage turned her attention to Robin when she heard him yelp as Cobra crushed a few of his ribs under his red boot. "I am plagued by mosquitos," he scowled.

Robin grunted in pain before spitefully smiling at the extremist, "Good because this mosquito's mighty concerted over your pain." He kicked Cobra's leg off of him before back flipping to land in front of his team.

Cobra saw that he had lost and began to back into the shadow of the trees, "Another time then,"

"Kage don't let him escape!" Aqualad called out.

" _He's gone!"_ Kage said in alarm, gaining the attention of her team. _"He used some kind of teleportation device to escape."_

They all surveyed the destruction they caused in satisfaction before Robin smiled at Kaldur. "We picked the right guy to lead. Automatically making you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman!" Robin laughed at the thought of how that was going to go down.

The Atlantean's skin paled and he looked like he was about to be sick. Kage patted his back sympathetically and reassuringly signed, **"If it makes you feel any better, I'll be there with you since I'm your second in command."** Kaldur gave her a small, appreciative smile.

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **AUGUST 4, 01:06 EDT**

Batman furiously paced in front of the team, berating their first mission. "A simple recon mission, observe and report," he said, stopping in front of Kaldur with narrowed eyes before pacing again with his hands behind his back. "You will each receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes. Until then," Kaldur and Kage tensed, ready for the punishment they were expecting. "good job." Both leaders looked to the Bat in disbelief at the praise they received. "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success and how you determine who leads, determines character." Kage, Robin and Aqualad shared knowing looks and smiled at each other.

When Batman dismissed the team, they all began to go to their respective homes. Kaldur and Superboy walked with Kage to the Zeta tubes. "So Kage, what are you going to be doing when you get home?" Kaldur asked curiously.

The mute gave an exaggerated stretch and covered the mouth of her mask before playing air guitar. "You play guitar?" Superboy asked with interest. "Do you play anything else?"

Kage nodded and held up five fingers, getting a surprised reaction from her the two boys. "Five instruments! That is an amazing feat," Kaldur said in amazement, looking at his teammate in a new light.

"Do you think that… maybe… you could… teach me?" Superboy asked an embarrassed blush covering his face as he rubbed his neck.

Kage shrugged and nodded at the clone as they stopped in front of her destination. She ruffled the boys' hair before making her way through the teleporter back to Star City. Kage sighed once she walked out of the police box and looked up at the sky in thought. _I better watch my back, now that they know I'm alive. Why do things always have to be complicated for me? I hope watching over me boys, I'll visit you soon._ She reached inside her hoodie and wrapped her hand around a gold watch hanging from a chain around her neck.

 **Alright! That's chapter two of Battle Scars. I'm liking how I'm developing Kage's character to be the voice of reason for the group. I hope you all continue to like my story and follow Kage's adventure into the next chapter. I know I'm being a little sadistic by teasing you with the end. You're probably wondering who are the boys she's referring too? You'll have to keep reading to find out, but I'll give you a hint. They're part of the reason she's mute. Anyways read and review and ask any question you need so I can answer them to the best of my ability in the next chapter. Now it's time to thank all the people who followed and favorited my story.**

 **Thank You to…**

 **TheAsterousAuthor**

 **PrettyKitty Luvs U**

 **Blackwolfe99**

 **Girlwithnosoul(are you a ginger? XP)**

 **InitialsS.A. T**

 **That's it! Good night/morning everybody!**


	3. Chapter 3

**BEFORE I GET STARTED ON THE NEXT CHAPTER I'D LIKE TO ANSWER TO SOME OF THE REVIEWS YOU GUYS WERE NICE ENOUGH TO GIVE ME.**

 **PrettyKitty Luvs U: Glad you loved the last chapter and I hope you love this one as much as the last. I think when I complete the story, I'll take a poll of everyone's favorite chapter.**

 **FurysClaws: I initially didn't remember what Psylocke's powers were, I pretty much remembered her name and how she looked. After looking it up, no Kage's powers aren't based off of Psylocke's.**

 **InitialsS. A. T.: I'm flattered you put my Young Justice fanfic so high on your list of good ones.**

 **Crossdresser123: Don't worry about Kage's secrets, when I reveal them it'll blow your mind.**

 **QuikChik: Of course I'll continue the story. My mother raised me to never do anything half-assed.**

 **Natalie(Guest): I'm glad you're picking up on these things. I'm not sure whether to make her Aqualad a love interest, or to make him a good friend of hers. Her history with Sportsmaster will be revealed later on along with her backstory.**

 **DISCLAIMER: YOU GUYS KNOW THE DRILL. I DON'T OWN YOUNG JUSTICE!**

 **ENJOY THE STORY!**

* * *

 **METROPOLIS**

 **AUGUST 5, 07:38 EDT**

Kage was shadow jumping from roof to roof alongside Superboy. Amazingly enough, the clone had come up to her the day before and quite shyly asked if she would go with him on a patrol around Metropolis. Kage was surprised, thinking that he would rather avoid the city under his counterpart's protection, especially since said counterpart had a kind of aversion for the clone. None the less, she agreed to go, thinking he would need the silent moral support that only she seemed most likely to give.

"Hey Kage," he called out as they came to a stop at the tallest building in Metropolis. Said mute girl tilted her head to him to show that she was listening as she looked down at the city below. "How… How did you learn to control your powers so well?" he asked quietly, as if he wasn't entirely sure he wanted her to hear.

He stared at her hands intently for the answer that she hesitantly provided, **"Honestly, it took me a hell of a lot of practice to perfect it to this point especially because I had to do it by myself. I didn't even know what kind of powers I had until this nice old man took me in for a while and educated me on my powers. He taught me all he could, but he told that there were barriers that prevented me from doing more. Why? Do you need help with your powers?"**

The clone nodded sheepishly, "Yeah, I'd like to be able to control my strength so I don't accidently hurt when I'm trying to help. It's hard to get that kind of control with no one to teach me. I'd like to actually land without creating a crater that could lead straight to me in future missions." He gestured to the building that he'd just leapt from where there was a crater, just like he said, from where he landed.

" **Is that why we came here? To ask Superman to help you with your powers?"** she asked curiously.

"Well, yeah, but I'm not sure if he'll says yes. I was hoping that maybe you would understand and help me if he doesn't," the clone averted his gaze to the city below, to avoid the rejection he expected. He reluctantly returned his gaze to Kage when she put a firm hand on his shoulder. The sun couldn't compare to the radiance of his grin when she nodded her head.

" **I'll help you if he can't. Can I ask you a question though?"** she asked with a posture that gave off the impression that she was uncomfortable

"Shoot," Superboy said as he listened in to a cracking sound that he couldn't pinpoint without taking his eyes off his friend.

" **Why did you tell this to me of all people? You could have easily told Aqualad or Robin, and you could have asked them to do this in my place, but you didn't,"** she mused.

A light, embarrassed blush tinted Superboy's cheeks as he avoided the mask's unwavering gaze, "You seemed like the easiest to talk to about something like this. The others wouldn't understand considering they had someone to teach them. Aside from the fact that you physically can't tell anyone, except for maybe M'gann, you're very level headed and patient with me. Is this what having a sister is like?" He had a look on his face that Kage called the sad puppy. The clone's usually fiery blue eyes were downcast in uncertainty and his lips were set in a pout. Kage felt the urge to hug him, so she did, feeling touched that he would consider her as such.

Superboy sat in shock for a moment before hesitantly returning the gesture. Kage pulled away to sign, **"Tell you what, after you ask Superman we can go out for ice cream before we start your guitar lessons."** This earned a large childish grin from the ravenette.

However their moment was ruined when Superboy caught the sound of screaming children and concrete breaking. His gaze was locked onto the bridge leading into the city to find that a piece of it cracked off, causing two of wires holding it up to fall into the incoming traffic. A school bus and a few cars were teetering off the side, the occupants screaming for help. Before the duo could jump into action, they saw a blur of red and blue fly along the water and push the crumbling bridge back into place.

However, while Superman was repairing the bridge, the school bus full screaming children and a car containing a family of three were getting dangerously close to teetering off the edge of the bridge. Without hesitation, the two younger heroes leapt onto the scene, Superboy more forcefully than Kage, and got to work. Superboy immediately ran for the bus of children while Kage used the car's shadow to create tendrils that carefully place it in the road with the family unharmed.

Superboy wasn't having as easy a time with the bus, as Kage attempted to help. "No! Get the kids!" the clone shouted. The masked girl nodded and shadow jumped into the bus. She transported the children and driver off the bus and onto solid ground, lightening the load for her friend. He was pulling the bus more easily now, and the children huddled around Kage and watched in awe as he slowly toted the vehicle, but that's when Superman came in and took the bus from him like an adult taking a toy from a punished child, knocking his clone onto the ground.

Kage broke the huddle of children to get to her teammate and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She stayed behind as he approached Superman with a firm gate. "I had that," he said in a surprisingly calm manner.

"I didn't want to take the chance, as it is your landing could have destabilized the entire bridge," the older Kryptonian said coldly, sending prickles of protectiveness down Kage's spine.

"It didn't," Superboy retorted weakly.

"But it could have," Superman insisted with a stern look. "We don't yet know the limits of your powers."

"M-maybe you – you know – help me figure that out?" he asked with hope burning brightly in his eyes.

Superman appeared to ponder it for a bit before his stony expression slid back into place, "Batman's got that covered."

 _He isn't here asking for Batman's help,_ Kage thought sullenly at their efforts being wasted.

Superboy feebly tried to explain but Superman got a call from Green Arrow, blatantly ignoring the situation. Kage bristled in indignation at the attitude the Leaguer had towards his clone. The way Roy spoke about him, she expected more from the hero than to just brush off the teen that was asking for his help. He didn't even tell Arrow to let him finish talking to Superboy, instead he told them that he was available and that he'd be there right away. He used his job description to escape the inevitable.

Kage approached the clone she was beginning to think of as a younger sibling and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, wishing at that moment to be able to speak so she could curse out the hero and reassure her friend. His shoulders fell in rejection before rolling back in anger and frustration. His eyes were pools of ice that only melted when they met the mask of their sister figure.

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **AUGUST 5, 13:06 EDT**

 **Recognized: Superboy B04. Kage B13**

At the cave, Aqualad had just lost a game of holographic air hockey when the pair of heroes teleported back. The air was filled with tension as the two stormed through, carrying themselves angrily.

"Hey Superboy, Kage, how was Metropolis?" M'gann asked, only to receive a solemn shake of the head from Kage.

The latter stopped at the sound of a familiar voice clearing their throat, "Ready for training everyone?" Black Canary walked in with Martian Manhunter for mandatory training. Kage had completely forgotten about that in anger at Superman.

"Black Canary! Uncle J'onn!" the Martian girl ran excitedly over to her uncle and wrapped him in a tight embrace.

He put a steady hand on her shoulder and his deep voice rang through the room. "M'gann, I was in the neighborhood so I thought I'd see how you were adjusting," he was rather awkward around his niece, but I guess that was to be expected since he apparently never heard of her up until that point.

"A few bumps," she answered honestly, "but I'm learning."

"That is all I can asked," he replied with a proud smile.

Superboy, having had enough of seeing something he couldn't get from Superman, gently took Kage's wrist and dragged her with him as he began to storm out. They both stopped when Canary spoke up.

"Stick around. Class is in session," they both turned around with equally guarded stances, Superboy with his arms crossed, and Kage with a deceitfully relaxed posture with her clenched fists in her pocket. Black Canary walked into the middle of the room and the floor lit up in a large circle. "I consider it an honor to be your teacher. I'll throw a lot at you, everything I've learned from my own mentors," she grimaced in pain as she took her jacket off, revealing a freshly bandaged wound, "and my own bruises."

Kage tilted her head in the blonde woman's direction in concern for her Speedy's mother figure. "What happened?" M'gann asked in concern.

"The job," Canary answered simply. "Now combat is about controlling conflict, putting the battle in your terms. You should always be acting, never reacting, I'll need a sparring partner."

Kage hadn't been paying attention to anything Canary had said, not out of blatant disrespect, but out of the fact that she had already received this lesson a long time ago. She jumped a little when Wally readily eagerly volunteered to be the League member's punching bag – I mean sparring partner. "Right here, yeah," he walked up to Canary with a banana in hand.

" **Dead man walking,"** Kage signed to Superboy, earning a small smirk from the clone.

He scarfed down the banana before attempting to speak. "After this," he tossed the banana into a nearby trash can with a swish, "I'll show you my moves."

Canary's eyes found a certain mute and she gave an almost diabolical smirk, "Actually, you'll be sparring with Kage, since she finds this lesson _so_ unimportant."

The masked girl turned to the blonde, tension filling the air. **"Not that the lesson isn't important, but I learned this already,"** she signed with a deceptive amount of calm.

"Good, then you won't mind showing us what you know," she didn't appreciate the Canary's condescending tone, but she didn't let it get to her. The woman had been giving her hell ever since Roy told her that they were rooming together. She could understand why the heroin didn't trust her but it was downright petty to put her in the spotlight and not so subtly throw shade.

Never the less, Kage moved to the center of the ring and formally bowed to the speedster before falling into ready stance. Kid Flash watched his teammate warily, knowing she was nothing to play with, but the moment he blinked he would have received a fist to the face if his reflexes didn't kick in and he pulled his arm up. Kage, however, was betting on that and kicked out his leg and pushing his head forward with the same hand to knock off his balance before planting her elbow into his back to knock him over before simply sitting on his back with her legs crossed.

Kid groaned in pain, "Hurts so good." Kage snorted in amusement before getting off of Wally and helping him up. "Where'd you learn that?"

Kage's only response was to put her finger to her mask's smiling lips, making for an eerie picture. If the speedster didn't know any better he'd say that she murdered someone and is going to kill him off because he witnessed it. Black Canary reluctantly nodded in acceptance of Kage's victory as she turned to the spectating team members. "Good block, Kid, but did anyone see what he did wrong?" Canary asked, not even glancing at Kage as she went back to stand next to Superboy.

Robin narrowed his eyes at this before eagerly raising his hand, "He hit on teacher and got served?"

"Dude," Kid, whined incredulously.

Canary allowed an amused smirk to rise on her face before she got serious, "He allowed Kage to dictate the terms of –"

"Oh please," Superboy scoffed with his arm casually resting on Kage's shoulder, "with my powers the battle's always on my terms. I'm a living weapon, and this is a waste of my time."

The blonde gave him a challenging smirk, "Prove it."

Kage turned to her Kryptonian friend in worry, knowing he didn't have the battle experience that she did to properly combat the seasoned League member. His anger and frustration was going to put him in a humiliating situation and she didn't want to watch her friend become humbled in that way. Kage had observed that in a fight, Superboy's combat skills go as far as punching as hard as he could and tackling, and that wouldn't do much to Black Canary if he couldn't catch her.

Feeling the worry rolling off his shorter friend, Superboy glanced at her before sneakily pulling her hood down to ruffle her bluish black hair in reassurance and moving to square off against the older blonde. Kage sighed to herself before moving to stand next to Aqualad with her arms crossed to see how much her friend needed to improve. Both combatants fell into fighting stances and she noticed that Superboy's was sloppy at best. The clone threw a punch at Canary who easily caught his arm and used his force against him to throw him across the fighting ring onto his back. She could see his shoulders tense in rage and Robin's mocking laughter only added fuel to the fire as he picked himself up, practically growling at the woman.

"You're angry, good, but don't react. Channel that anger into –" Superboy completely ignored the lesson she was trying to give in favor of charging at her with a furious cry. Canary easily flipped over his shoulder to dodge the powerful punch he was no doubt trying to deliver to land behind him and ducked to dodge the backhanded swing he brought around before she swept his legs from under him in one graceful motion.

Canary held her hand out to help him up but he shrugged it off. "That's it!" he snarled. "I'm done."

He made to walk away, but Canary stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, "Training is mandatory." The clone simply shrugged her off again and glared heatedly at her.

Kage had never been more relieved to get an incoming call from Batman as the holographic screen displayed said hero's face. "Batman to the cave," he said. "Five hours ago, a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary." Batman pulled up a picture of the attacker that looked like a large, robotic man with a strong jaw line, straight nose, and elf-like ears, and a video feed showed the android swinging Superman around like a rag doll and using him to bat away Red Tornado and flash before tossing the Kryptonian and using heat vision on him. "The attacker was capable of studying and duplicating the powers and abilities of its opponents. Arrow called in reinforcements which nearly proved as disastrous as our foe gained more and more with each new combatant."

"Whoa," Wally said breathlessly, "One guy with the power of the entire League?"

"In the end, it took eight Leaguers four hours to defeat and dismantle the android," Batman said with a grim expression.

 _That would explain Canary's injury._ Kage may not have like Canary all that much, but she knew how much she meant to Roy and wouldn't wish anything horrible on her.

"An android? Who made it, T. O. Morrow?" Robin inquired urgently.

"Good guess Robin," you could hear a slight undertone of pride in the Batman's voice, "but Red Tornado doesn't think so."

"The technology bears the signature of Professor Ivo," Martian Manhunter said solemnly.

"Ivo? But Ivo's dead," Aqualad said in disbelief.

"So we all thought," Canary said somberly, "or hoped."

"To make certain this threat is permanently neutralized we're sending two trucks carrying the android's parts to two separate Star Labs facilities in Boston and New York for immediate evaluation. Every precaution is being taken. We'll have four additional decoy trucks to create confusion in case Ivo, or anyone tries to recover the remains. You will split into undercover teams to safeguard the two real trucks."

"Yes! Road trip!" Kid exclaimed in excitement.

"So now we take out your trash?" Superboy asked incredulously.

Batman almost smirked back in retaliation, "You have something better to do?" This silenced the clone who glanced back at Kage from her position at Aqualad's side as the Atlantean received the coordinates.

"We're on our way," Aqualad confirmed as he and most of the team rushed out. Kage and Superman were taking their sweet time, Kage more to keep the clone company than anything, when Canary grabbed Superboy's arm and turned him around.

"When you're ready, I'll be here," she said with a small smile. Superboy said nothing as he and Kage walked out of the cave.

* * *

 **LITCHFIELD COUNTY**

 **AUGUST 5, 20:08 EDT**

Kage and Superboy watched as the android parts were loaded into the trucks from the bushes they were hidden behind. Kage stood next to the clone that was astride his motorcycle as Superman turned to them, but once he met Superboy's gaze, he scowled and turned away. Superboy sullenly looked at Kage who pat his shoulder reassuringly, earning a small smile from the ravenette before he put his helmet on.

Aqualad walked over to Kage and unnecessarily cleared his throat – considering the fact that she can sense his shadow's movements – to gain her attention. Kage looked up at him over her shoulder and waited for him to speak, "Do you not have a motorcycle to ride on?" Kage nodded at him, making no move to say anything else. "Where is it?" he finally asked.

Without a word, the shadows in the clearing gathered behind Kage and pushed something large out of it. Jaws dropped at the sight of the sleek black light cycle that lit up a deep blue at the mute girl's touch. The black rings formed at her head and feet and gave her a sleek black riding suit that accentuated her curves and her headphones on her head. She tapped one of the buttons on the side, and the headphones expanded into a helmet with same lights and design running through it. Before the helmet was complete, she slipped her mask off and put it on a clip on her belt, teasing her teammates. Kid whistled in awe at the beautiful machine and pulled his goggles off in awe. "Where'd you get that?" Robin asked incredulously.

Kage was unable to sign her answer from her trembling form on the ground due to her laughter. She tried so hard to hold it in, but the silent laughter escaped in huffs when she collapsed to the ground with her knees curled to her stomach in an effort to control it. "Glad our reactions whelm you," Robin chuckled at the display.

The team watched in amusement and slight shock, for they've never seen their mute teammate laugh so hard. Sure, they've seen her shoulders shake slightly from chuckling or hear her snort in amusement, but never to the point where she was unable to stand or move.

Fortunately, Kage recovered herself before Batman gave the signal for the vans to leave, giving their cue to follow. Kage was going with Superboy and Robin to New York, and it was a tense, quiet ride until Robin finally spoke up. "If dislike is the opposite of like, is disaster the opposite of aster, right? See, instead of things going wrong, they go right," he said with hope to alleviate to tense silence.

Superboy didn't answer and kept his gaze on the road ahead, "Clearly you're not feeling the aster. What's wrong."

"Canary," Kage huffed in agreement, "what business does she have teaching combat skills to a guy with super strength?"

"Taking down stronger guys is part of the gig. Canary learned that the hard way, same as Batman, and, well, me," Robin muttered the last part. Kage stayed behind with Robin as Superboy sped ahead, knowing that the clone needed his space. "Something tells me it's more than that." Kage simply nodded and sped up so she was between the two boys to avoid questioning, knowing Superboy wouldn't want her to betray his trust.

Suddenly Kage heard annoyingly high pitched laughter out in the corn fields. She, Robin, and Superboy turned their heads to see robotic monkeys flying overhead towards their truck… I kid you not, they're really robot monkeys. "Robin, Superboy, Kage, our truck is under attack!" Aqualad said urgently through the coms.

"Kinda figures," the Boy Wonder said in exasperation as the monkeys latched onto the truck.

"I hate monkeys," Superboy said, on the verge of a bout of rage. Kage jumped off her light cycle, allowing her shadows to swallow it to keep it safe, and landed on the truck. She produced a pair of tonfa swords and began to methodically cut down any robot that she got near on the swerving truck. The next thing she knew, she was standing back to back with Superboy.

"I don't suppose that this is lesson one," the clone quipped sarcastically as he used his helmet to destroy some monkeys before they began to swarm the pair.

Giving up on giving an answer, Kage focused her efforts on destroying the annoying creatures. She quickly brought her foot down on one that was trying to bind her legs and kept it there while she swiftly cut down the ones trying to ambush her. However, a roar of pain from Supeboy brought her focus away from the battle as the feel of his back disappeared. She looked up to see the monkeys picking the teen up while he held his arms in pain before dropping him onto the road. With a flick of her wrist, she cushioned his fall with his shadow.

Robin, who had been clinging to the back of the truck, climbed up and started using his escrima sticks and acrobatically took out the androids. He and Kage worked together to fend them off, but it was becoming obvious how tired they were becoming. When Superboy caught up, he nearly knocked them off when he landed while also taking care of a load of monkeys. They began to swarm him again, so he blindly started yanking them off to prevent what happened before to occur.

However, the annoying creatures added more problems when they destroyed a set of tires on one side of the truck, causing it to wildly swerve as the driver desperately tried to keep it from tipping over. Meanwhile Kage was trapped under a bunch of monkeys that held her down, clawing, blasting, and punch. Having had enough, she formed a shield around her body and pushed it outwards, shoving the monkeys off. She saw Robin get the driver out when the truck showed no signs of stabilizing, Superboy quickly grabbed the mute girl and curled himself around her as the truck started rolling. She quickly formed a shadow shield around them to protect them from the rolling truck. When the truck finally stopped rolling, Kage and Superboy were coming down from their adrenaline high due to the experience.

"You okay?" he asked as he tried to get his breathing under control. Kage nodded, and checked his eyes, holding three fingers up. "My eyes are fine, Kage. It just takes a little bit of time for my eyes to focus."

With that knowledge, the mute began to slowly sign to her friend to accommodate his current condition, **"I'll break the shield, you catch the truck."** With a nod of confirmation, Kage snapped her fingers, causing the already cracking shield to shatter, causing Superboy to pop up and catch it, pushing it off of them. He helped his friend up, he looked in the direction in which the monkeys were going and took off after them.

Kage vaguely heard Robin call after him over the pounding in her head as she leaned against the truck with a hand holding her head. **"Aqualad to Robin. We've lost our cargo did you –"**

Robin sighed, "It's gone, and so is our partner." Kage took his moment of distraction to quickly change her helmet back into headphones and clip her mask back onto her face before moving to stand near Robin.

" **Aqualad to Superboy. Radio your position, we'll help you,"** their leader ordered.

Kage heard the clone grunt over the coms, **"I don't need help! Don't want any!"** She sighed as she heard the rage in his voice. She called back her light cycle and leaned against it while Robin went to join her.

" **Superboy!"** Aqualad said urgently.

"I think he ditched his com," Robin said casually.

" **Super! Now we can't even track him,"** Kage huffed in annoyance at the truth of that statement. _Well that's just great! Now even if he did find the parts, he'd have no back up in case something goes wrong, and knowing our group, anything that could go wrong, will. Hopefully I can locate his shadow before that happens._

" **He's out of my telepathic range,"** Miss Martian reported.

" **Kage, what about you? Can you track his shadow?"** Aqualad asked urgently.

Said mute fell into a light trance as she cast her senses out. She didn't find Superboy's shadow, but a quiet whisper in her mind made her push her senses farther than she's ever gone before. She finally got a read on the clone's shadow.

" **I've got him,"** she signed to Robin who relayed the message to the rest of the team. **"He's following the monkeys to a train, but I don't know where it's going."**

" **This Professor Ivo – if he is alive – seems to be two steps ahead of us. Maybe we should contact Red Tornado,"** came M'gann's uncertain voice. Kage shook her head at Robin before she caught sight of one of the monkeys that she took out. She tuned out the conversation and tapped Robin's shoulder, pointing him in the direction of the monkey.

He gave her a puzzled look, "Alright, I see the monkey, what about it?"

Kage sighed in exasperation at how slow the boy genius was, **"How did they know it was** _ **our**_ **truck that had parts. Wouldn't we have heard if the other trucks were attacked? How did they know our truck had the parts."**

She could feel a satisfied smirk stretch on her face as wide eyed realization came over the Boy Wonder, "Kage, you're a genius!" The girl gave him a sarcastic bow.

" **What did you two find out?"** Aqualad asked, alerted by the loud exclamation.

"Kage just pointed out to me that we'd have heard if decoy trucks were attack. She asked me how they knew which trucks to target. What she was trying to tell me was that there was a possibility that the parts had GPS tracking," Robin explained excitedly as he began to hack into the fallen robot. "And she was right!" he said triumphantly as his holocomputer pulled up a map of the parts' location. "The monkeys can track the signal, which means I can track them with the one Kage cut up. Looks like both sets of parts are converging on Gotham City." The horror in Robin's voice didn't go unnoticed by Kage who kneeled next to him.

" **That far south?"** Aqualad asked incredulously. **"M'gann and I won't get there any time soon. I'm sending Kid on ahead to meet you. Aqualad out."**

Robin put the robot over his shoulder and called what was left of his bike over to him as Kage hopped onto her own mode of transportation. "Definitely a disaster, _heavy_ on the dis."

They took off down the road to meet up with Wally, ditching the riding suits. The ride to Gotham was a quiet one, and they didn't see Kid until they were at the outskirts of the city. "So you changed too," Robin observed.

"You kidding," Kid pretended to shudder, "I feel naked in civvies. You still tracking the parts?"

Robin nodded and looked down at his map, "They were heading through Gotham, but they veered. Wait! Dude, they're at my school!" Kage didn't miss this information, but ignored when she felt a familiar shadow getting tossed around. Without a word of warning, she sped up and weaved through the busy streets to get to Superboy because he didn't seem to be doing so well. Once they arrived at the school, Kage hopped off her bike without even stopping it, allowing her shadows to swallow it as she ran into the gym to save her friend from an epic butt kicking.

But of course, Kid beat her to it, saving Superboy from being crushed by the android and bringing him over to his comrades. Robin sent a birdarang flying at the robot only for it to access Martian Manhunter's powers so it would faze right through it before using Red Tornado's powers to knock them away from each other. Kage melted into the shadows, out of the android view so that he wouldn't copy her moves.

The android tried to hit Kid with Captain Atom's power but Kid ran out of the way, taking out some of the bleachers. Kage was desperately trying to find the android's weakness when it suddenly struck her when the android switched to Black Canary's power. _He can't use more than one power at the same time! He has to switch! So if I can get him to use Martian Manhunter's power, and then solidify, we could have a chance of taking him out!_

With that in mind, she silently dropped from the rafters onto the android's shoulders, where she wrapped her legs tightly around its neck. She used her shadow claws to cut it where she could before it grabbed her legs and used Superman's strength to swing her into Superboy. While they were recovering on the bleachers, Kid and Robin were trying their best to fend the android off. Kage suddenly felt an unknown shadow come into her sensory range when Kid was being crushed by Amazo before an arrow went flying through the android, allowing the speedster to get away.

Superboy tried to charge at the android, but it tossed him over its shoulder with barely a glance in his direction. Kage came to the clone's aid. They took in the sight of the gym and their teammates before the clone sent his sister figure a hopeless look. **"Access Black Canary,"** she signed.

Superboy smirked at her, but the moment was ruined by Ivo mockingly yawning at them, "Yawn. Normally Amazo would study and mimic your abilities during battle, but what's the point? You're all such poor copies of the originals. Except maybe you my mysterious friend, I don't believe I've seen any hero quite like you." Ivo eyed the masked and hooded girl carefully, unsure what to make of her spontaneous appearance from the rafters when he had been sure he'd seen her get knocked into the bleachers like the rest.

Superboy looked at Kage, who met his gaze, he could practically feel the smirk that was probably hidden by the mask. She held up two fingers and the clone smirked at the meaning behind it before returning his attention to Ivo, "So everyone keeps saying. IT MAKES ME ANGRY!" he roared, lunging over Amazo's head at Ivo. The meek man shrieked like a girl as he ran out of the way into Kage's awaiting hands. "WANNA SEE ME CHANNEL ALL THAT ANGER!?"

"Great! He's gone ballistic again, and Kage's not helping!" Kid groaned as Kage grabbed the man by the front of his shirt, holding him off the ground despite her short stature.

"Amazo! Protect your master! Priority alpha!" he yelped as Kage's fist collided with his nose, successfully breaking it.

Superboy jumped after the man only to be shot out of the air by an energy blast. The MONQIs helped Ivo up, only for Robin to jump in. "Anyone want to play keep away?" he quipped as he kicked Ivo out of their arms.

"Oh! Me! Me!" Kid exclaimed in excitement, wanting to get in on the action, but Amazo caused a shockwave with Superman's powers that sent the speedster flying. Robin threw a birdarang at the android, forcing it to density shift, by the time it became tangible, it had Superboy's fist inside its head, and Kage coming down on it with her claws, cutting its arms clean off and destroying its head. Without either, the android fell back with a resounding metallic thud.

Kage didn't stop there, she tore it's legs off for good measure. "Dude! The guy had no head or arms!" Kid admonished.

"She didn't want to take any chances," Aqualad firmly stated as he and Miss Martian rushed onto the scene. He knelt beside Kage's heaving figure, noticing that she was clutching her side as the Martian went to Superboy's aid.

"Superboy, are you alright?" she asked in concern, noticing how beat up he was.

The clone gave her a soft smile before bringing his gaze to Robin and Kage, "I'm fine. Feeling the aster." Kage's shoulder slumped as she slightly chuckled, wincing in pain when that strained her cracked ribs.

"Are you alright Kage?" Aqualad asked as he helped her up.

She put her hand on his arm to steady herself as she felt the darkness in her body already at work to mend the bone. **"I'll be fine in a few moments,"** she signed, patting his arm in appreciation of his concern.

"Hey! Where's Ivo?" Kid asked in alarm.

Kage pushed her senses out, and sighed in defeat when she felt that he was already out of Gotham, **"He's already gone."**

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **AUGUST 6, 01:06 EDT**

"The Amazo android is in pieces again, safely being analyzed in two separate Star Labs. Ivo escaped, and since he originated the tech, he is arguably more dangerous than the android," Kaldur reported grimly.

"Capturing the professor will be a league priority," Canary assured.

"But we understand your mission encountered, _other_ complications," Superboy, I do believe the Martian is looking at you along with everyone else besides Kage, who barely restrained herself from doing so. The clone suddenly found his arms to be quite interesting.

"Complications come with the job. Your ability to handle them has impressed the League," Batman's words caused Kage and Superboy to exchange a look before turning hopefully to the Dark Knight.

"The whole League?" Superboy asked dubiously.

"Given time, yes. Kryptonians, as you know, have very hard heads," if the team didn't know any better, they'd think the big bad Bat was cracking a joke. Superboy glanced at Kage with a small smile and she gave an imperceptible nod. "Of course, there's no shame in asking for help. That's why the League exists, because there are some problems even we can't handle individually."

"Please," Robin scoffed, "if we needed help, we'd never get the chance to ask." He brought out the arrow of the girl Kage had sensed during the fight. "Look familiar?" His accusing tone was met with puzzled expressions as he handed it to his mentor, "You were following us! Babysitting! You still don't trust us!"

Batman gave the arrow to Kage, who compared it to one of Green Arrow's. They met each other's gazes and nodded. "We didn't follow you," Batman simply said as Kage turned to give her friends a clear view. Green Arrow's was thinner, and the shaft disappeared into the arrow head. However, the one Robin brought was thicker and had the arrow head wrapped around the shaft.

"And that's not your arrow," Robin said slowly with wide eyes before a wide grin spread across his face. "But that means that – "

"Speedy!" Kid exclaimed happily.

"He has our backs," Kaldur said contently.

Wally snatched the arrow out of the archer's hand and examined it like it was a diamond, "Souvenir!"

Kage, however, was skeptical of this theory. For one, the arrow was green while Roy's were always red. Also, Roy said that he was going to be taking care of a gang war in Louisiana, so how could he be in Gotham? She was also sure the shadow of the person she sensed was a girl, so unless Roy had a sex change while he was there, there was no possible way that it could have been Roy helping them. She tried to relay this information to the team, but Batman put a hand on her shoulder, and slowly shook his head.

Superboy cleared his throat as he approached Black Canary. "I'm ready," he said quietly.

"Good, because I'm – "

"But I don't want to train with you. I want to train with Kage. She said she'd help me and I want her to. Also, I saw how you treated her earlier and I don't like it," Superboy said in a respectfully blunt manner, ignoring Canary's disdain toward the mute. Canary only nodded in acceptance, respecting his wishes.

While they were celebrating their personal victory, Kaldur noticed Kage slipping out of the Cave unnoticed. Curious, he followed her and found her sitting crossed legged on a cliff near the top of the mountain. "Kage, what are you –" he was cut off by a finger being put on his lips. Kage was looking out over the cliff before looking to him and tapped his ear. He obeyed the silent command and listened. He jumped when a deep buzzing passed his ear. He turned his head and saw a dragon fly passing him by. He watched in awe as more and more of different shapes and sizes appeared, flying around them in a seemingly random pattern.

His eyes never left the mute as she held her index finger out. He watched intensely as a black and gold dragonfly with black stripes in their wings landed perfectly on her finger. With a simple twitch of her finger, the dragonfly flew away to join its peers. Kage turned back to the Atlantean and held his webbed hand in her hands, causing a bright blush to rise on his cheeks as she curled all his fingers in except for his index finger and held it out. To his amazement, a sea blue dragonfly landed on the webbed digit. I barely noticed when Kage let go of his hand as he examined the insect.

It's body was a deep blue that reminded him of Atlantis and the moon light on its wings had the effect of a prism. He tried to bring the insect closer to further examine it them, but it took off before he could. "This is amazing," he said, barely above a whisper, before turning back to find Kage sitting cross legged with her hood down with the occasional dragonfly fluttering around her head.

" **A good friend once told me that what he liked best about dragonflies was that they can sense when you're feeling home sick,"** she signed, scaring off the purple green and yellow dragonflies that were resting on her arms, **"so they show you that colors that remind you of home."**

This caught the Atlantean's attention and he cautiously pursued the topic. He sat down next to his second in command and gave her a sympathetic look, "And are you homesick, Kage?"

The girl shrugged and nodded, **"Well, yeah. I miss the jazz bands, the crawfish boils, the festivals, and most of all Mardi Gras. My home holds happiest memories I've ever had, and it was where I met the friend who told me that. I know it must be hard living so far from Atlantis, but at least you have the dragonflies to remind you that it's not lost to you."**

"What brought this on?" Kaldur asked curiously, slightly touched at the fact that she tried to alleviate his homesickness.

Kage gave a noncommittal shrug, **"I didn't plan on you following. I guess I must be getting rusty if you caught me."**

The blonde chuckled at this, "You are far from rusty. I'm sure you would have made a clean getaway if I hadn't been looking for you."

This caused Kage to turn to face her leader, **"Why were you looking for me?"**

Kaldur looked away in a failed attempt to hide his embarrassed blush, "I-I wanted to make sure your ribs were fine. I thought they were still cracked."

The mute's shoulder shook in silent laughter, **"Rest assured I'm fine. The darkness in my body mends all the wounds that may occur. It basically makes it so I can almost instantly heal from almost anything."**

Kaldur raised a playful brow at her, "Almost?"

Kage lightly smacked his arm, **"I'm still human, so of course I have a weakness."**

The blonde chuckled at her reaction, "And what, pray tell, would that be?" The ravenette put a finger to her mask's lips in a cheeky fashion, letting him know it was yet another secret that she kept. Hopefully he'd one day uncover all her mysteries.

* * *

 **Hey everybody, this is HiddenBerserker letting you know that chapter 3 is officially over, and I must say that I'm actually doing better with this story than I thought I would. Now as you know, I drop a lot of hints that are directed at Kage's past in my story. I hope you'd be able to spot them because the more you ask questions, the more my story develops, and I honestly mean it. The more you guys ask great questions, the more material I have to make Kage a better character and have her better interact with the DC universe. Please read and review so I can keep the story alive.**

 **Now it's time to thank the people who recently followed and favorited my story!**

 **Thank You To….**

 **disiais**

 **FurysClaws**

 **doggy bye**

 **meera huang**

 **Sweetie1128**

 **PyroPony**

 **Crossdresser123**

 **Cats are my World**

 **QuikChik**

 **SoulSonicResonance25**

 **ERROR-restart**

 **NightWindAlchemist**

 **Keep reading and reviewing for a better experience. I'm happy to have you!**

 **Until next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**It's me again! Sorry this update was slow, I've been busy with a sleepover with my best friend. Since we hardly ever see each other, I gave all my attention to having fun that I almost forgot about you guys. Now that the apology is out of the way, it's time for me to answer your comments and reviews.**

 **Girlwithnosoul: I'm glad you like Kage and Connor's relationship. When I started the story I immediately thought that the two would get along famously due to their lack of speech. As for your Kaldur shipping, I'm honestly considering it since Robin, Roy, and Kid are more popular and I honestly like the Atlantean.**

 **PrettyKitty Luvs U: No there wasn't a Conner/Kage ship sailing any time soon. They think of each other as siblings, therefore it would be weird for them to have feelings for one another.**

 **Guest: As I've said before, Kage may not be Japanese, but she does have a reason for being named so. Please let my story play out and for Kage's past to be revealed to criticize her name.**

 **Guest: Kage and Roy's relationship is indeed familial, and Green Arrow trusts Kage due to how she acts around Roy, fully solidifying that trust when he sees how she interacts with the team. However, Black Canary still doesn't trust Kage and therefore tries to goad her into revealing her "true colors." Due to the mute's background, Canary is more spiteful and reluctant to accept that she wants to be a hero. Also, Canary isn't permanently removed as Conner's mother figure, Conner won't let her help until she gets over her perceived dislike of Kage. Kage will also be semi-neutral towards Artemis until she has a good read on her.**

 **P.S. You're welcome, I simply made Kage's figure like one of my cousins.**

 **P.S.S. Kage is exactly 5 feet tall.**

 **TohruOrihime: I'm glad you like my pairing, and feel free to let me know when my characters get a bit OOC. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **That should be everyone! Now I'll give the disclaimer before starting the story! Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT KAGE.**

 **INFINITY ISLAND**

 **AUGUST 7, 23:49 ECT**

Two dark figures silently ran over the rooftops of a heavily armed base. One shot an arrow at an unsuspecting guard, shooting volts of electricity through his body, knocking him out. Without missing a beat, the pair ran pass the fallen guard, determined to get to their target. The archer shot a grappling hook arrow and his partner simply faded into her shadow and jumped up at the top to watch for anymore guards. The second figure, Kage, pushed her senses out, finding a camera watching their hiding spot. **"Camera,"** she signed to her friend.

The archer nodded and carefully aimed an arrow that would put the video on a constant loop. Once that was taken care of, Kage subdued the two guards and dragged them through their shadows. They snuck into the building, taking out goons and guards with silent efficiency, until they finally reached the door that held their target. The mute knocked forcefully at the door and backed up slightly when she heard the guards near the door, and allowed the archer to take her place by the door with a smirk. She watched in amusement as he effortlessly kicked the metal door down over a guard, allowing him his fun. The guard raised his gun at the ginger only for his head to be slammed into the wall by the smiley masked girl.

The blonde scientist looked at them in amazement, as the Roy strutted passed her, "Doctor Roquette."

"Tell me you're the advanced guy," she said sardonically as she gave him a deadpanned look.

Roy huffed an amused breath, "No, I'm the escape guy. Kage is my partner a.k.a. your bodyguard. Say hello doc."

"You couldn't bring back up?" she asked incredulously. "What? Were there budget cuts?!" The rest of her impending rant was cut off by an alarm bell going off and the sound of feet rushing towards their location. Kage stood facing the downed door in a ready stance to defend the doctor if need be as Roy knocked an explosive arrow. He released the arrow, blasting a huge hole in the wall.

"Now or never time doc," Roy said curtly.

She looked down at the weapon, "We can't leave this."

"Look, we take it or we take you! Kage can't carry you and it while I protect you," the archer said impatiently.

The blonde took her glasses off with a resigned sigh, "Right, take me."

The archer shot one of his zip line arrows that landed in a tree on the beach and handed a hook over to his friend, "Grab, the doc and go! I'll be right behind you!" Kage nodded and kneeled down for Roquette to climb onto her back. Getting the hint, the blonde woman latched on and Kage soon regretted her role in this mission as the woman on her back screamed all the way down. The moment they touched the sandy ground, they were dodging bullets as the mute dropped the banshee and uncovered the escape boat and jumped in the driver's seat. Roy wasn't far behind as he bushed the boat out to sea.

"So what do you call this? The Arrow Boat?" Roquette teased.

The archer had all but lost his patience with the woman, "I call it a rental, now get down!" He pushed the woman's head down as Kage activated the mines they left on the beach while she steered the boat away from the island.

When no more bullets were flying over their heads Kage allowed one hand to single handedly sign, **"We're in the clear, she can pick her head up now."** Roy nodded in acknowledgment before relaying the information to the scientist.

"Great! That leaves only one problem," Roquette sighed in exasperation before turning to Kage, trying in vain to see her face from under her hood, "but before we take care of that… How the hell were you able to carry me like that? You're like what? 4'7?"

The mute and archer bristled at the woman's doubt of what just occurred, the mute more so at the jab at her height. "Kage is stronger than she looks. I recommend that you don't doubt her abilities," the ginger said through gritted teeth. Said mute sighed in resignation. _It's gonna be a long ride home._

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **AUGUST 8, 20:15 EDT**

"The Wall-man is here! Now let's get this party star-" Kid ran through the Zeta tubes with beach supplies in tow before he tripped over his feet, sending a beach ball bouncing passed an unamused Batman and Red Tornado. He sighed, "ted?"

"Wall-man huh?" standing in front of the two Leaguers after just being introduced, was a blond girl of Asian descent in a green costume with a lighter green arrow on her chest and a smug grin on her face. "I love the uniform. What exactly are your powers?"

"Uh, who is this?" Wally asked his peers.

"Artemis, your new teammate," she said with a hand on her hip.

"Kid Flash, never heard of you," he retorted, earning a frown from the blond.

"She's my new protege," Green Arrow said with a hand on her shoulder.

"What happened to your old one?!" the speedster demanded incredulously.

 **Recognize: Speedy B06**

"Well for starters he doesn't go by Speedy anymore. Call me Red Arrow," the aforementioned old protégé said.

"Roy!" Green Arrow said in shock. He hadn't spoken to or heard from the teen since the Hall of Justice. "You look –"

"Replaceable," Roy cut his mentor off, making for an insanely awkward situation.

"It's not like that, you told me you were going solo," the older archer tried to explain to placate his adoptive son.

"So why waste time finding a sub?" Red demanded before sneering at the younger blonde. "Can she even use that bow."

"Yes, she can," Artemis got in his face with a knowing smirk and clenched fists.

"Who are you?!" Kid asked, trying to find some sort of answer for his confusion.

"I'm his niece!/She's my niece!" both Green Arrow and Artemis looked away when they answered hurriedly. The oldest archer inwardly winced, knowing that Roy knew he had no siblings and would most likely tell Kage.

"Another niece?" Robin wondered skeptically.

"But she is not your replacement," Kaldur said as he approached the incensed red head, trying to mediate. "We have always wanted you on the team, and we have no quota on archers."

"And if we did, you know who we'd pick," Wally said, directing his comment more to Artemis than Red.

"Whatever, Baywatch. I'm here to stay," the blonde said with a smug smirk, knowing he couldn't do anything about it.

"You came to us for a reason," Kaldur said, trying divert attention away from the impending spat.

Roy sighed in exasperation, "Yeah, a reason named Doctor Serling Roquette."

Robin's eyes widened at the name before a huge grin appeared on his face as he pulled up her file on his holocomputer and putting it up for the others to see, "Nanorobotics genius and claytronics expert at Royal University in Star City! Vanished two weeks ago."

"Abducted two weeks ago," the archer corrected, "by the League of Shadows."

"Whoa!" the Boy Wonder said in awe. "You want us to rescue her from the Shadows?"

"Hardcore!" Wally said as he bumped fists with his longtime friend.

"I already rescued her," Roy said, destroying their excitement as he approached the information displayed and pulling up the information on the machine he was forced to leave behind. "Only one problem. The Shadows already coerced her into creating a weapon. Doc calls it the fog, comprised of millions of microscopic robots. Nanotech infiltrators, capable of disintegrating anything in their path, concrete, steel, flesh, bone." The archer's face and voice grew dark at his explaination. "But its true purpose isn't mere destruction, its theft, the infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system and deliver stolen intel to the Shadows. Providing them access to weapons, strategic defense, and cutting edge science and tech."

"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, power broking, yeah sounds like the Shadows," Artemis added with a roll of her eyes.

"Like you know anything about the Shadows," Wally scoffed with a condescending smirk. Artemis's only reply was a knowing smirk, further angering the speedster. "Who are you?!"

"Roquette's working on a virus to render the fog inert," Red said, failing to hide his annoyance.

"But if the Shadows know she can do that…" Robin trailed off.

"They'll target her," the archer finished his thought. "Right now she's off the grid. I stashed her at the local high school's computer lab."

"You left her alone?!" Green Arrow asked in disbelief.

"I left her with Kage," Red deadpanned. Green Arrow made an "oh" look and nodded reluctantly in acceptance. Both men knew that the mute was capable of protecting the scientist on her own, but the team's assistance would be greatly appreciated if only to put their minds at ease.

"That's where she's been," Superboy muttered under his breath, relieved that he knew where his surrogate sister was.

Roy turned his gaze on the clone and gave him a small smile, "She says she's sorry she couldn't meet up with you guys, but she'd make up for it with a movie night."

"Score!" Kid and Robin said, giving each other a brofist.

"Let's you and I help her out," the blonde offered in an attempt to reconcile with his ex-protégé.

"You and I?" Red scoffed. "Don't you wanna take your new protégé?" Green Arrow's mask's eyes widened in shock, his face displaying the hurt and guilt he felt. He regained his composure when Batman put a hand on his shoulder, "You brought this to the team. It's their mission, which means its hers now too."

The red head scoffed and began to walk away, "Then my job's done."

 **Recognize: Speedy –**

"That's Red Arrow, B06 update," he left without a single glance at his friends.

 **HAPPY HARBOR**

 **AUGUST 8 21:53 EDT**

Kage leaned on the desk Roquette was working at as Aqualad peeked outside to see if anyone sneaked passed Miss Martian. _"Miss Martian, link us up,"_ he ordered. _"We do not want the Shadows intercepting our coms._

Kage ignored the tingling in the back of her head in favor of focusing her senses on any strange shadows lurking around the building. _"Everyone online?"_ she asked.

" _Ugh! This is weird,"_ Artemis said, marveling at the connection.

" _And distracting,"_ Roquette complained. _"Coding a distributed algorithm virus on a kiddy computer with less RAM than a wristwatch is hard enough. Now I have to hear teen think in my skul?!"_

Kage pat the woman's back as a way of comfort, knowing that she was under a lot of stress due to her life currently being in danger.

" _Lady, do you always complain when someone tries to help you?"_ Kid asked as he ate a candy bar.

" _Pot, kettle, have you met?"_ Artemis quipped with a cheeky grin.

Kid grit his teeth in anger, _"Hey, hey, I do not need attitude from the_ newbie _who drove Red Arrow off the team."_

Artemis hopped up from her seat on the desk, knocking Kage's shoulder, _"That's so not on me!"_

" _Fate of the world at stake!"_ Roquette said in annoyance.

" _I don't know what's going on between you two, but you better fix it 'cause I'm not putting up with this the entire mission,"_ Kage said in a warning tone. _"Doc's trying to work and she can't focus when the people on the team are bitching at each other over something small."_

" _She started it,"_ Kid grumbled like a five year old.

" _I don't give a shit who started! I'm ending it!"_ Kage growled.

" _How about I just help Miss Martian and Superboy patrol the perimiters?"_ Artemis offered, not wanting to go against the mute.

" _Good idea,"_ Aqualad said curtly in a rare show of annoyance.

" _You might wanna cut her some slack,"_ Robin began. _"It was her arrow that saved your butt against Amazo."_

Kid's eyes widened in surprise, _"What?! No! That was Speedy's – I mean Red Arrow's, right?"_

" _Afraid not,"_ both boys looked at the hooded mute, _"I sensed her on the rooftops that night. If she wasn't there, I'm fairly sure you would have been crushed to death."_

" _Well I still won't give her the satisfaction,"_ Kage nearly facepalmed at his sheer stupidity.

" _You know I can still hear you!"_ Artemis pointed up. Kage pictured her lips curling, although she wasn't quite sure if they curled up or down.

The mute watched in amusement from her place by the scientist's side as she pinched the bridge of her nose. _"I couldn't get the Justice League. At least it was quieter when it was just me and the mute."_

" _This mute has a name woman, and I suggest you use it. We may be younger than you but that doesn't mean we get any less respect,"_ Kage's tone that usually can't be conveyed with simply sign language made Roquette rethink the way she underestimated the girl if merely her mental voice put her on edge. If she had to compare it to anything, it was like an Alpha dog silencing its subordinate.

" _The virus won't be of much use if we cannot find the weapon. Can you track it?"_ Aqualad's gentle demeanor had the scientist question who was really the leader in the group. She found that where Kage cold and blunt, much like Batman, Aqualad would be calm and collected, like Superman, giving the scientist a sense that the Justice League was there in a way.

" _My utility fog is not a weapon,"_ Roquette scoffed in offense, _"it's science, brilliant science, and of course I can track it, but I'd have to go on line. You might as well rent a billboard with this address and "assassinate me" written in neon."_

Aqualad and Kage both placed a comforting hand on the doctor's shoulders. _"We will protect you,"_ Aqualad said, leaving no room for doubt.

" _Red and I didn't drag your ass off that island just to let you die,"_ Kage added, you could hear the smile in her voice. In a way, Kage's rough reassurance gave the blonde hope that she'd make it out alive the moment she pressed the key.

" _Tracking fog now, and you better keep your promise Kage,"_ she teased.

You didn't need to see the mute's face to know that she was smirking, _"Be careful Doc, if I didn't know any better I'd think you're actually started to like us."_

All tension left the scientist's shoulders, as she gave a snort of amusement and a role of her eyes, _"Heaven forbid that ever happens."_

The computer tracked the device to a plane in Philadelphia preparing to take off. Kage forced herself to appear calm and relaxed as she folded her arms, she knew that the difficulties of the mission were just beginning. Suddenly she was bombarded by Artemis's thoughts on her "little" brother, _"Mmm, that boy."_

Kage shuddered in disgust, _"Oh hell no! M'gnn! Cut me out of the link so I can vomit in peace."_

The mute felt the rising annoyance of her Martian friend, _"He can hear you! We can all hear you."_

" _Oh, I know,"_ it doesn't take a genius to know that the archer was smirking.

" _Kage?"_ the clone inquired curiously.

" _I'll explain it to you when the mission is over. Before that, Artemis, please stop, there are a lot things I want to know, but how you think of my younger brother isn't one of them. Now please stop before I end up blowing chunks over Kid,"_ Kage pleaded as she facepalmed and shook her head tiredly, earning sympathetic looks from Aqualad and Roquette while Robin nearly died laughing.

" _In that case…"_ the blonde trailed off suggestively.

" _Why me?!"_ Kid asked incredulously.

" _Because I respect Aqualad too much for that, Batman would murder me if I tried Robin, and Roquette needs to focus. You would be the safest bet,"_ the ravenette explained nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulders.

Aqualad chuckled at this information, glad to have some relief from the tense situation, _"Miss Martian, Doctor Roquette has located the fog. Reconfigure the bioship so Robin and Superboy can pursue."_

Kage watched the Boy Wonder slip out of the room to meet up with the Kryptonian clone. _"Ready,"_ the red head informed. Not long after, something piqued the mute's interest in her sensory field.

" _Everyone stay on your guard! I sense someone with less than pleasant intentions,"_ Kage warned. _"She's right outside the gate."_

" _Alright,"_ Artemis answered seriously.

" _You embarrassed Superboy,"_ M'gann scolded.

" _Didn't hear him say that,"_ the blonde retorted.

" _Must you challenge everyone?"_ the Martian asked in annoyance.

" _Are you fucking shitting me?!"_

" _Where I come from, that's how you survive,"_ Artemis said a bit darkly as she ignored Kage's outburst.

" _Quit your bitching and get your asses in here, she got past you while you were bickering over boys!"_ the mute admonished. She was satisfied that the girls had the decency to be ashamed.

" _Where is she now?"_ Kid asked as he slipped out to guard the door.

" _She's in the pool room, but Kid – "_

" _It's alright Kage, I got this!"_ the speedster said as he sped to the room.

" _No! Kid, come back here! It's a trap!"_ she snarled, but it was too late. She felt his shadow become distorted and her hackles raised in alarm. That only ever happened if someone was in water and last she checked, the assassin was still on solid ground.

" _Miss Martian! Check on Kid! I think he's drowning!"_ Kage ordered.

" _Okay, but why can't you do it if you're closer?"_ the red head inquired as she made her way to her teammate.

" _Because the assassin is on her way here,"_ the mute said solemnly.

" _What?!"_ Roquette squeaked in fear.

Kage ignored her for the moment, _"Miss Martian, cut me off the link. I can't completely focus with everyone in my head."_

She felt a click in the back of her mind and she knew the link was cut as she silently walked to the darkest corner of the room. The door creaked open just enough for a shuriken to fly through, aimed at the scientist working at her computer. Kage created a kunai and tossed at the kunai's whole with a flick of her wrist, pinning it to the wall next to the door. "Doctor get down!" Aqualad ordered.

Roquette froze in fear and would have been impaled by more shuriken if Kage hadn't deflected them. "Impressive," the assassin's voice purred, "but it's no fun unless I can see you."

Kage made her steps resound around the room as she stepped out of her corner, literally melting out of the shadows. The assassin's breath hitched at the sight of her opponent's eerily smiling mask. Aqualad's eyes turned to his comrade's figure and they widened at the slight difference in her mask. The white smile in her stealth mode had become a predatory and borderline maniacal sharp toothed grin. "This'll be more interesting than I thought, " the assassin said, but Kage caught the slight crack in her voice.

"I wonder how long it would have taken before the jellyfish toxin killed your friend," she taunted.

"I am largely immune," Aqualad said coldly from his position by Roquette.

"I'll have to test your limits when I'm finished with short, dark, and mysterious over here," she said offhandedly, forcing her fear down.

The assassin wasn't sure if she was hallucinating or the mask's grin had grown in size. In fear of her wellbeing, she pulled out a pair of sais and lunged at the other masked girl. She made to stab at her only for Kage to side step her and grab her wrist before planting her foot in her stomach sending her flying. The assassin recovered and landed on a computer desk, her eyes returned to her opponent to find that she was in a relaxed stance with the hand that grabbed her wrist in a fist pointed at her, and the other in her hoodie pocket.

Roquette and Aqualad's jaws dropped at the sudden change in the mute girl. Not even in all her training sessions with the team and Black Canary had she taken that stance or seemed so at ease. It was as if he were looking at a different person. It appeared that she was holding back immensely if that is what she could do against a skilled assassin. He contacted Artemis and Miss Martian, letting them know that Kage was taking care of the assassin.

As they fought, the assassin tried to sneak attempts on the doctor's life passed Kage, only for her to throw off her aim at the last minute. The green kimono clad woman was becoming frustrated with her opponent not giving her an inch. All she could do was dodge and block, and her chances to assassinate Roquette were few and far between. What infuriated her most was the fact that the mute never took her other hand out her pocket and only kicked out at her with one leg. It felt like the girl was mocking her, toying with her and making her believe she had a chance before dashing those chances. The assassin's arms were becoming weak due to the power behind each strike, and that probably wasn't even her complete strength.

The assassin's father had told her of this person before. She was a dangerous opponent and her father feared the day he had to face her, and yet they sang her praises. It was hard to believe that the girl before her, swimming in her hoodie was a machine trained to fight. According to her father's stories, the girl could have easily apprehended her with her shadows. So why hadn't she?

She received her answer when her sai was shot out of her hand. She turned to find the blonde archer holding her at arrow point. "You were stalling," she stated simply not needing to ask. Kage replied by tilting her chin up with an air of confidence about her.

"Don't. Move," Artemis warned dangerously.

"This gig's getting interesting," the assassin purred as she pulled out a collapsible katana. Artemis narrowed her eyes and released a volley of arrows at the taller masked woman who easily cut all of them down. Kage jumped in after analyzing the weak points of the sword and threw a knife at the assassin, and on instinct, she moved to block it only for the blade to shatter at the hilt. She gasped in shock before turning to find that Miss Martian and Kid Flash had filed in to protect the scientist. "Maybe a little too interesting." Kage instinctively leaned to the side to dodge Kid as he lunged for the assassin, instead he flew through a smoke bomb and ended up grabbing Artemis.

He recoiled in shock at the narrowed gaze of the wrong person before turning back to where his target once stood. Aqualad uncurled from around Roquette to assess the situation. The doctor had other ideas.

"She's getting away! You're letting her get away!" she shouted in anger.

Kage walked up to the woman and put a hand on her shoulder as she signed with the other. **"Calm down Doc, right now you're our main priority,"** catching the blonde's confused expression, Aqualad took it upon himself to translate.

"This is all your fault! You were on perimeter! How'd that Shadow get in?!" Kid accusingly demanded as he pointed at the blonde who narrowed her eyes at him.

Miss Martian tried to come to her new teammate's defense, "That's not really fair. I was outside too."

"Outside… being distracted by her, besides I can't be mad at you," Kid smirked at the object of his affections. _You gave me mouth to mouth._

 _We heard that,_ everyone except Kage said through the mental link.

"Dang it!" Kid groaned. Kage tilted her head at Aqualad and Roquette, but shrugged it off when they shook their heads. That was a clear sign that whatever they said was something she didn't want to know.

Miss Martian walked up to Artemis with a kind smile. It appeared to Kage that whatever differences they had were settled, "I didn't do half as well in my first battle, and I know you can't have been Green Arrow's sidekick for very long."

"Focus everyone," Aqualad said sternly. "The Shadows will be back." Kage, who had resumed her previous position, leaning against Roquette's desk, nodded in agreement as her muscles tensed in anticipation. _She's a new one, but they probably know I'm here now. That means they'll be sending in some of the more experienced members._

" **Robin to Aqualad. We're over Philadelphia. We've located the Shadow's next target, Star Labs, but we're too late,"** Robin reported solemnly. **"It's destroyed, totally destroyed, the fog decimated it. This is bad, Star Labs is cutting edge science, and now their secrets are in the hands of the enemy… What's our next move?"**

Aqualad turned to Doctor Roquette, and said with more confidence than Kage expected, "Rescan for that fog, find it. We're moving the doctor."

Kage sat by Roquette/Miss Martian's legs, leaning against the desk with one leg tucked under her and the other propped up for her arm to rest on. Her masked face blankly staring at the wall had the people in the room thinking that she was daydreaming or sleeping. However, under the mask, the mute's eyes were inspecting every shadowy corner of the room and her ears were waiting to hear any indication that someone else was in the building. She didn't try to sense for shadows knowing that that would take too much out of her since she had been using it for nearly two days straight. She needed all the energy she could get if the Shadows were sending in more assassins.

The only problem she had was with the speedster and archer glaring vehemently at each other. _"Stop it both of you,"_ their leader chided as if talking to a pair of 2 year olds.

" _What?!"_ they demanded at the same time, looking in his direction.

" _We can hear you glaring,"_ Kage deadpanned, making all the occupants of the room pause to stare at her due to the fact that she hadn't so much as shifted from that position since they got there. They returned to their prior activities as the Atlantean theatrically ordered Miss Martian to perform a perimeter sweep. _"No offense Aqualad, but your acting sucks. These guys would have to be complete retards if they think you would yell out your orders when you could do it telepathically."_ A loud thud from outside made Kage want to facepalm.

" _You were saying,"_ the Atlantean groaned.

" _I rest my case. They sent retards to kill off Roquette. I feel slightly offended that they think those idiots could take us down,"_ the mute snorted.

When an assassin flipped through the doors, Kage remained in place while Kid and Artemis fell into an offensive stance, hoping to be a last resort if those two failed to stall them long enough. She listened to the sounds of battle, and watched Artemis notch an arrow out the corner of her eye before a large man with white hair and a rather large hook for a hand. The blonde archer released endless of volleys of arrows at the man, only for him to duck behind one of the pews. "Don't stop working!" she ordered.

Kage felt the assassin dubbed Cheshire's shadow high above, aiming an arrow most likely dipped in poison at Roquete/Miss Martian. When she let the arrow loose, the disguised Martian used one of the pews to block it. "Martian's here!" she said in alarm. "It's now or never!"

The assassin that Kid had been fighting kicked him away and slung a red web at the wooden seat make a clear path for the masked woman. The moment she felt the assassin's shadow detach itself form its owner, Kage's hands snapped up and grabbed the edge of the desk in an amazing show of skill to swing herself up so her feet would deliberately collide with her opponent's before landing on the desk and turning to watch the arrogant assassin's reaction to being tricked. She watched with slight amusement as Miss Martian's façade fell away to reveal that Roquette was never there. "We've been duped!" Cheshire growled.

Miss Martian shifted back into her true form and floated out of the sai wielding assassin's grip, "You'll never Doctor Roquette."

"Never is such a long time," Cheshire taunted before running out with a certain mute and archer on her trail. "Pursuing target, keep them busy!"

"Pursuing their leader, take the rest down," Artemis said without so much as a glance back to make sure they heard.

"You are so not the boss of me!" Kid sneered.

"Just do it!" Artemis shouted in exasperation as she tried to keep up with Kage and Cheshire.

Kage persistently pursued the pissed off assassin as she headed for the internet café that the real doctor was hiding. Her instincts to her to duck, and she did so without slowing her pace as an arrow sailed over her head. She tackled the assassin when she stopped to cut the arrow down, not realizing how close Kage was. The mute heard all the air get pushed out of the woman's lungs with a pained grunt before she was shoved off. "I was hoping it would be you," she wheezed.

Kage had a feeling that those words weren't directed at just her. Kage easily recovered and followed Cheshire onto the rooftops, another arrow whistled past her ear as it landed in a nearby chimney and let out a plume of knockout gas. The assassin coughed before falling back with a groan. Artemis went to approach the woman only to be held back by Kage. The archer turned to yell at the mute only for her mouth to be rudely covered. _"All Shadows who wear face masks have built in filters,"_ Kage's voice was faint due to being so far away from Miss Martian, but the importance of them still weighed heavy on the archer's mind.

"We know you're not knocked out," Artemis said, keeping a fair distance from the woman.

The woman chuckled from her position on the ground, "Clever girls."

She launched herself at Artemis, only to be intercepted by Kage, however, the shift in weight caused the mute to fall over the edge of the building with Cheshire using her to break her fall. Kage's body left an impression in the concrete as the assassin left to do her job, amazed that the girl survived the three story drop. "You're pretty durable," she said as if the mute were a toy before rushing into the café.

Kage let out a slight grunt of pain as she dragged herself out of the crater. _That wasn't the worst fall I've ever had_ , she thought to herself.

She ran into the building to find Kaldur fighting Cheshire with poisoned kunai sticking out his chest, obviously slowing him down as the assassin easily dodged the clumsy swings of his water swords and knocked him out. "Limit tested," she said with a sick satisfaction. She pulled out her sai and slowly advanced on the blonde scientist, "Doctor, time for my appointment."

Kage noticed the self-destruct program was steadily loading on the computer before sinking through the floor and rising back up in front of Roquette. "Took you long enough!" she shouted in panic. "What'd you do, stop for groceries?!"

The mute tapped into the very faint mental link. _"No, I went to buy some tampons because you are obviously PMSing!"_ she snapped as she watched the assassin warily.

"You know you're really getting on my nerves," Cheshire snarled at the mute.

In response, Kage mockingly slow clapped to convey the smartass reply. _Congratulations, I don't give a fuck._

Roquette, having heard this thought, couldn't hold back her snickers as the irritated assassin charged at the mute in anger. Cheshire tried to slash up in the shape of an X but Kage easily dodged the maneuver and grabbed both her wrists in one hand before landing brutal kicks in her knee, stomach, and face in quick succession, cracking the mask and sending the woman flying through the window just as the program finished downloading. Kage felt Artemis's shadow near Cheshire's and decided to let her handle it as she made her way over to Aqualad. She rolled him over onto his back and carefully pulled the kunai out before lightly tapping the side of his face to bring him back to the waking world.

He groaned in pain before his eyes fluttered open, relieved to find that Kage's mask was back to its usual self before the aftereffects of the toxin kicked in and he groaned in pain. Where a normal human would feel as if his body was burning from the inside out, the Atlantean simply felt sore and fatigued, having to lean on Kage's smaller frame. Kage showed no signs of being burdened by his weight, but in truth, the girl was exhausted and desperately needed a nap. Then she remembered her promise to Superboy. _Oh yeah, I promised him a movie at the cave. Then, I have to explain to him why Artemis was basically mentally stripping him._ The girl sighed tiredly knowing her job wasn't over. Kage nodded her thanks to Doctor Roquette for opening the door for her as she practically dragged Aqualad out.

They found that Artemis was alone and Cheshire was nowhere in sight. "Artemis, where is the assassin?" Kaldur asked urgently.

The blonde didn't meet their gaze, "She, um, she got away." Her head was held low in shame, however Kage was skeptical that she really got away. She tossed the assassin right in front of the archer. Why wasn't the archer telling them everything? However, Kage soon dropped the subject at seeing the clear signs that it was something personal.

"Oh! From you? Big surprise, notice that we got ours," Wally said condescendingly, adding insult to injury as the archer simply walked away from him. He looked down at the cracked mask and his eyes lit up in excitement, "Cool, souvenir. How'd it get cracked though?"

Kage raised a guilty hand as Aqualad became able to stand by himself, earning a chuckle from said Atlantean, "Why am I not surprised? Did you see what she looked like Artemis?'

"It was dark," Artemis said a little too quickly for Kage's liking.

"It is fine. Robin and Superboy neutralized the fog, and Doctor Roquette is safe. Thanks in no small part to you," he said reassuringly, taking her haste to answer for anticipation of getting kicked off the team. Artemis turned to face the fellow blonde as Kage walked up to stand beside him. "Welcome to the team," Aqualad said, and Kage nodded as if to say the same.

Artemis gave them a small smile, already feeling respect for the pair building. They each shook the archer's hand as Miss Martian went to stand beside her. "I've always wanted a sister – here on Earth, I mean – I have twelve back on Mars but trust me it's not the same. Now I have two," Miss Martian fumbled.

Artemis awkwardly replied, "I wouldn't know, but thanks."

Kage and Miss Martian elbowed Kid in the ribs, giving him a pointed look when he yelped in pain. "Yeah, welcome," he said reluctantly. The two shook hands with minute amount of respect for one another.

Aqualad's attention was brought away from the moment when Kage tapped his shoulder. **"Is the mission over?"** she signed, feeling her repressed fatigue bubbling to the surface. The Atlantean raised a puzzled brow at this but nodded none the less. The mute heaved a heavy sigh of relief before her legs finally gave out on her and a familiar darkness engulfed her sight. The last thing she felt was being engulfed by warmth.

"What's wrong with her?" Artemis asked, worriedly staring down at the strong girl wrapped in her leader's arms.

"I was wondering when this would happen," Roquette said solemnly.

"What do you mean?" the Atlantean demanded.

"I haven't seen her rest since she and Arrow saved me," the scientist said without taking her eyes off the young hero that guarded her. "It didn't appear to bother her, so I just assumed that this was normal for most heroes. I guess not."

Aqualad curled an arm around Kage's back and the other under her knees and hoisted her up. The team was rather disturbed at the sight of the mute's exhausted form. Everyone, even Artemis and Roquette, only saw her as the one who kept them in line using whatever means, whether it be with gentle words or insults. They'd never noticed how small she truly was until now, but the way she was curled in on herself made her seem like a broken doll. "Superboy won't like this," Kid said to no one in particular.

 _Neither do I,_ thought Aqualad.

The walk to the bioship was a quiet one. No one wanted to address the elephant in the room... If she could fight that well while completely exhausted, what is the true extent of her skill and strength? How much does she hold back when they spar? When Superboy and Robin got out to meet them, they froze at the sight of the unconscious mute being carried in Aqualad's arms.

"Is she hurt?!" the clone asked worriedly as Aqualad reluctantly slipped her into the ravenette's awaiting arms.

"No, she is just suffering from exhaustion. All she needs is some well-deserved rest," he said reassuringly before everyone filed into the bioship. They stopped to drop Roquette off at the Hall of Justice, where Superman and Green Lantern were waiting to bring her home before heading back to the cave.

Once there, they were met by Batman who took one look at Kage's unconscious for before letting them pass in order to drop her off in the room she uses when she stays over. Everyone but Kaldur, who stayed behind, went to go about their own business. "You have questions," it was more of a statement than a question, coming from Batman.

The Atlantean didn't deny his claim, "Batman, just how good is Kage? We were told that she just started being a hero, but her skills are those of someone with years of combat experience."

The Dark Knight sighed at this, knowing that this conversation was going to come around at some point, "I can't give you any specifics, but all I can say is that she'll be a great asset to the team."

"Why can't you tell is anything?" Kaldur demanded, glaring at the older hero.

Batman returned it with his signature glare, and coldly stated, "It's not my secret to tell. Kage will tell you her secrets in her own time." With that, he walked away from the teen, not giving him a chance to argue, as if he could.

 **Hey everybody, another chapter is done! First off I'd like to say thank you all for reading, reviewing, following, and favoring my story. I honestly thought I wouldn't get as many as I do now and I'm grateful for that. On to the next state of business, Kage's nationality in relation to her name, and I'll this only once so read carefully. KAGE IS AMERICAN, HOWEVER THE REASON SHE IS GIVEN A JAPANESE NAME WILL BE REVEALED WITH HER BACKSTORY.**

 **That is all.**

 **Anyways, it's time to thank my new followers and those who've favored my story.**

 **Thank you to…**

 **alisarocks**

 **FlamingPhoenix112**

 **spitfire1997**

 **sjmcaliece**

 **BLUE AVENGER18**

 **littlerose568**

 **CalliopeNera**

 **Touchmyotaku**

 **Peace-n'-Luv4601**

 **EMyra**

 **New Moon9889**

 **Savvysheepy**

 **Thanks everyone and have a wonderful life! Remember to read and review!**


	5. Chapter 5: Saying Goodbye

**Hello everyone! I'm back again! Sorry for the long wait, but I have a valid excuse. I've started school and I have ALL dual enrollment classes. Please pray for me. Since I do have time right now, I'm going to take the chance to give you your next chapter! I'll answer your reviews, give the disclaimer, and move straight to the story. Not gonna lie though, I might be kicking a few people's feels.**

 **Guest: There will be definite Kaldur/Kage so start thinking up shipping names. However, I want to make their relationship flow naturally from friendship to romance.**

 **BLUE AVENGER18: This is your gift**

 **PrettyKitty Luvs U: Glad you loved it XD**

 **.177: I'm glad that my story was able to rest your weary mind. Although any creative criticism would be helpful!**

 **Guest: Thank You!**

 **Guest: Glad you loved it! This is my first honest attempt.**

 **Britneynene: Thank you for the compliment, keep this up and I'm gonna blush.**

 **DISCLAIMER: YOUNG JUSTICE AND ITS CHARACTERS DON'T BELONG TO ME AND ANY WHO SAYS IT DOES IS A LIAR.**

* * *

 **AUGUST 19, 3:17 EDT**

Superboy was woken by whimpers coming from Kage's room. Worried, he rushed to her room to find what he'd originally thought was her, however, he soon realized that the figure didn't seem as solid as Kage, and had black wisps rolling off it. Protective instincts kicked in as Superboy charged at the figure, and attempted to punch it.

Attempted being the key word.

His fist phased completely through the shadowy figure without hurting it but it dissolved anyway. The only ones left in the room were the sleeping mute and the panting clone that was wondering what was hovering over his mute friend. He snapped back to reality when he heard another pained whimper came from the small person in the bed. He quickly knelt by her side and tried to wake her, but the result wasn't pleasant.

Before he could blink, he found himself lying on the ground with Kage straddling his waist and a knife at his throat. He waited with wide eyes for her to calm down, and noticed just how much the nightmare unnerved her. Her hood was pulled back, revealing that her hair was plastered to her masked face, and her breathing was heavy and ragged. She looked as if she'd just fought for her life. When her breathing evened out, she seemed to realize what she was doing before stiffly hopping off the clone, and holding out a hand to help him up. He gave her a wary look as she refused to look him in the face, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Kage looked down, contemplating if she wanted to dive back into that pool of misery before heaving a deep sigh and shaking her head. Superboy gave her an understanding look before patting her on the shoulder, gaining her full attention, "How about we start those guitar lessons you promised me?"

The mute knew that it was an offer to change the subject and gladly took it, shedding the tense atmosphere like a winter coat of fur. **"Do you want to learn acoustic, lead, or bass?"** Superboy had to think about it for a bit before he decided to start with learning the acoustic guitar and working his way up.

Three hours later, M'gann walked in to find Kage and Superboy making breakfast. Well, it was more like Kage making breakfast and Superboy reaching for anything the short girl couldn't reach while he watched her cook. The clone was at first skeptical if the mute girl could actually cook, but soon found that she quite adept in the culinary arts and when asked she told him that she cooked for Red Arrow since they lived together. Both occupants of the kitchen looked up at the arrival of the Martian girl before returning to their tasks. M'gann decided not to question it and simply considered it another thing she didn't know about the masked mute before taking a seat on a bar stool near the counter.

Not long after she settled down, Wally came running into the room looking around eagerly with Artemis trailing sluggishly behind. "What smells so good?" Kage's shoulders shook in silent laughter at the sight of the speedster looking around wide eyed like an energetic puppy. How he was able to have so much energy at such an ungodly hour was beyond her, so for the sake of her own sanity, she let it go.

Surprisingly, the last person to make it for breakfast was Kaldur, who was usually the first person up in the morning. He froze at the sight of Kage and Superboy working in the kitchen to feed a group of teenagers, a speedster, and a Kryptonian. Needless to say they needed a bigger table in the dining room.

However, once seated, Kage found herself the object of everyone's attention. She had to admit that she was quite uncomfortable with everyone's gaze on her, but could understand why. This was probably the only chance they had to see at least one of her facial features, but Kage had other tricks up her sleeve. She purposely brought a forkful of food to the mouth of her mask slowly and watched her friends' expressions in amusement as the fork phased through the mouth of the mask.

Silence echoed through the cave before Wally dropped his face onto the table and let out a sound that sounded somewhere between groaning, laughing, and crying. Kage's entire body shook with laughter. She laughed so much that she had to hold her stomach due because it was cramping from her laughter. "Why are you so mean to us?" he whined.

The mute managed to get her laughter under control and feigned innocence when she shrugged at him although everyone could practically feel the shit eating grin that was probably on her face, **"I don't know how I'm mean when I cooked breakfast."**

Artemis shook her head and smirked at the ravenette. "I have a feeling, you and I are going to be the best of friends." Wally directed his attention to his food to avoid the evil grins he was sure were directed at him. He tried his hardest to ignore it, but he couldn't escape the sinking feeling, like he was going to regret whatever comes next.

"Hey Kage, I was hoping we could get started on the training sessions you promised me," Superboy said earnestly around his hash brown. Kage nodded at the clone and continued eating.

Once breakfast was over, Kage and Superboy found themselves in the Zeta room where the giant hologram projector sat in the middle of the cave. A large white ring lit up beneath their feet as Kage stopped at one end and waited for Superboy to reach the other. **"We're spar for a bit to assess how good you've gotten and see where you need to improve,"** Kage signed before falling into an offensive stance. She waited for the clone to fall into a stance of his own before they began to circle, steadily getting closer until they were barely a foot away from each other. Soon, Superboy's muscles began to twitch in anticipation of Kage's first move, not willing to do it himself due to how easily she took down Kid Flash, however, her unnervingly still body moved fluidly around him in the test of patience, waiting him out.

Suddenly, Kage jerked forward, causing the clone to swing at her reflexively. The mute saw this coming and merely pushed an arm up from her stance to knock the attack off course. She cocked a hand back as her body narrowly avoided being knocked over by Superboy's and grabbed his face as she passed, slamming his head into the ground without remorse. She stepped back once she let him go, remembering how he reacted towards Black Canary when she knocked him down. She was proud to find that he simply picked himself up and got back into his stance. They went through most of the day going over his stance and techniques on fighting opponents smaller than him, and when they worked on larger opponents, she made a shadow soldier twice his size.

Kage found herself impressed with the clone when she eventually let him have a break after hours of hellish training. The ravenette was a quick study and could hold his own fairly well against the mute. While he was resting his no doubt sore body, Kage was left to her own devices, never once breaking a sweat during the session. Seeing as no one was around to hear her, the mute decided to do something she hadn't in a while.

Kage tapped the toe of her boot on the ground where her shadow resided beneath her. She watched in fascination as it stretched out without a definite shape. No matter how many times she witnessed this, she could never get over how her shadow never took after her shape, instead it would be this ambiguous blotch that would supply her with whatever she requires. With a firm stomp of her foot, an instrument jumped out of the black mass and landed in Kage's awaiting hands.

In her hand was a black violin with the skeleton of the human abdomen that she tucked under her chin, and with the flick of her wrist, a black bow appeared between her fingers. She paused for a moment, debating on what song she wanted to play. Once she did, she settled the bow in her fingers before she began to lightly pluck the strings for the intro of the song before utilizing the bow to dive into the song.

Kage doesn't know the name of this song. She first heard it when she went to bed one night when she was younger in a dream. She could always remember the dream vividly. In the dream she was lying on her back, looking up at a pair of blurred faces. Both figures would be singing, and she would take notice that one sounded masculine while the other would sound feminine. The mute could never decipher the words of the song, but she had a feeling that the man and woman were singing to her, for their voices would be soft, as if to sooth a crying child. The only thing that had some semblance of clarity in the dream, would be the violin she would hear accompanying the man and woman. As a child, Kage hoped beyond hope that it was a distant memory of her parents, and would notice with each time she had the dream that the figures would grow clearer, and the blurs hiding their features would lessen. Determined not to forget what little she saw of her parents, she drew their blurred figures, adding more detail with each dream, and with each detail she grew more hopeful of being able to truly know what her parents looked like.

Unbeknownst to the mute, her teammates were heading to the Zeta room to watch Kaldur and Superboy spar with each other. The young heroes were honestly shocked that their teammate had such a talent, with the only exception being Superboy for obvious reasons. When she fought she came off as ruthlessly brutal, but in this moment, the masked girl appeared delicate and elegant. However, a certain Kryptonian clone noticed his leader eying his sister-figure with a soft expression that he couldn't place.

When the song ended, the team applauded their second in command, causing her to jump. Apparently she had been too lost in the song to notice their presence like she usually would. **"How long were you guys standing there?"** she asked as the violin and bow dissolved into black wisps that faded out of existence.

"Long enough," Artemis smirked at the ravenette.

Kage's shoulders slumped as she let out a long sigh. Superboy furrowed his brows at her in thought, "You said that you could play five instruments. What else can you play?"

" **Correction, I told you I could play five** _ **other**_ **instruments. As you already know, I can play the guitar and violin, but I can also play the sax, trumpet, piano, and the bongos,"** Kage signed matter-of-factly.

"Why bongos?" Wally asked, curiously.

Kage gave a noncommittal shrug, **"It was a bet. If I learned how to play them in less than a month, then I could have a sax."**

"I take it you won the bet," Kaldur asked with amusement with a slight smirk.

The mute gave a proud nod, **"I played his favorite song and believe me, it wasn't easy."** _Speaking of which, I haven't visited him in a while. I'll see what the old man's up to if we don't have anything important today._ She nodded to herself before addressing her team, **"Did you guys come in here to do anything or…"**

Suddenly remembering the reason they came there in the first place. Kage moved off to the side with Artemis, M'gann, and Wally as the Atlantean and Kryptonian prepared to fight. Kage particularly noticed the bright red blush that appeared on M'gann's face when Superboy took his shirt off.

The moment the match began, Aqualad and Superboy ran at each other, both sporting confident smirks. When they met in the middle of the ring, Superboy swung at Kaldur, only for him to block the hit and throw a couple punches of his own. Aqualad tried to give the clone a roundhouse kick to the head only for him to dodge and swing at him, causing the blonde to back flip out of his reach.

Kage observed the fight closely, assessing how much Superboy improved in less than a day. She was brought out of her assessment when Artemis awkwardly tried to start a conversation about boys. "So, Kaldur…nice don't you think?" she said to the Martian, trying to get a reaction out of her. "Handsome, commanding, you should totally ask him out." Kage knew exactly what she was trying to do. Artemis was trying to make sure that M'gann wasn't crushing on Superboy so she could get him. However, the mute found a better match for the archer, and slowly her ship was setting sail.

"He's like a big brother to me, but you know who would make the cutest couple? You and Wally," she teased, apparently she shipped them together as well as she glanced at the speedster eating a burrito, oblivious to the conversation. She gestured to the blonde, "You're so full of passion and he's so full of…"

" **It?"** Kage signed, her shoulders shaking in amusement as they laughed at the truth of those words. Kage noticed how Superboy ducked Aqualad's arms when he lunged for him and grabbed his face, slamming him into the ground much like how she did earlier, the words "Combat Fail," appearing above him.

Superboy dusted his hands off, with a satisfied smile. "Kage taught me that," he said with a twinge of pride in his voice.

Their free time was cut short when Red Tornado lowered himself from his room inside the roof of the cave as Superboy helped his friend up. Wally quickly scarfed down the rest of his burrito and sped over to the android. "Do you have a mission for us?" he eagerly asked.

"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility, " Tornado answered coolly.

"Yeah well, the Batman's with the Robin doing the dynamic duo thing in Gotham, but you're going somewhere right?" the speedster reasoned. "Hot date or a mission?"

"If we can be of help," Kaldur said, attempting to sound less pushy.

If the android could sigh reluctantly, he would, and pulled up an image of a well-dressed old man with a cane in his hand. "This is Kent Nelson, a friend. He is 106 years old."

"Guy doesn't look a day over 90," Wally stage whispered to Artemis.

"And he has been missing for 23 days," Tornado added as Kent's picture changed to that of Doctor Fate. "Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society, a precursor to your mentor's Justice League."

"Of course," Kaldur said in realization, "Nelson was Earth's sorcerer supreme, he was Doctor Fate!" The Atlantean was close to fanboying over the man.

Wally scoffed, "More like Doctor Fake. The guy does a little mad science, and Dumbledore's it up to scare the bad guys and impress the babes."

Kage pushed passed her teammates to stand in front of the android, looking up at him in worry. "Kent may simply be on one of his walk-abouts," he said reassuringly, "but he is caretaker to the helmet of fate, the source of the Doctor's mystic might, and it is unwise to leave it unguarded."

"He is like the great sorcerers, priests, and priestesses on Mars! I would be honored to help find him," M'gann said in excitement.

Wally's hand shot up, "Me too! So honored, I can barely stand it! Magic rocks!" You could feel how much effort it took for him to say those words. Everyone but the oblivious Martian gave the speedster skeptical looks.

Red Tornado put his hand on Kage's shoulder, "He said you would know how to get into the Tower of Fate." Kage nodded absently at the android, her fists clenched in worry.

"What are the chances we'd both so admire the mystic arts?" Wally said, giving M'gann what one could only assume was a flirtatious smirk.

Kage led the team to the bioship and sat in the pilot's seat. She listened carefully as M'gann gave her a brief understanding of how to drive it and waited for her friends to be seated and buckled before taking off. There was a notable tension in the ship stemming from the mute girl piloting the alien ship to their destination. "Is Kent the man you told me about, Kage?" Superboy asked bluntly, addressing the cause of tension. He received a curt nod from the girl, and returned it with his own nod of understanding. The pair received curious looks from the other occupants of the ship.

"So, Wally, when did you first realize your _honest_ affinity for sorcery?" Artemis asked with a slight tone of condescension at the word honest.

"Well, I don't like to brag, but before I became Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a wizard myself," he was looking at M'gann for her approval when he said this, but found that she wasn't even looking at him, instead, she was looking at a screen in puzzlement.

Kaldur and Artemis gave the speedster dubious looks and rolled their eyes. "We've reached your coordinate's Kage, but…" she trailed off uncertainly.

"There's nothing there," Superboy finished bluntly.

Unfazed, Kage brought the ship down and let her teammates out of the ship. Kage trailed after everyone else, and found something strange, she could sense Kent's shadow and two three others, but couldn't figure out where they were. The hooded ravenette clutched her head when a wordless horrified screech echoed from the sorcerer's shadow, letting her know that this wasn't a laughing matter.

Luckily this went unnoticed as her friends were too busy trying to find the tower. She waited with her arms folded as Wally came speeding back, "Nothing, this isn't simple camouflage."

"So what do you think?" Artemis asked innocently. "Adaptive micro-opto-electrics combined with faze shifting?"

Superboy looked down at Kage from where he stood beside her and gave her an inquiring look. She simply gave him an amused huff and shook her head. The clone smirked and folded his arms, watching as his teammates tried to figure out where the tower was.

The unknowing ginger grinned at the blonde, obviously not getting the jibe at his farce, "Absolutely!" That is until a certain Martian walked up next to them. "Not! Clearly mystic powers at work here!" his voice cracked with every word he forced out of his mouth.

Superboy and Artemis gave him disbelieving looks. They all stared out at the "empty" lot before Kage pushed past them to walk out into the middle of it. Suddenly a look of realization appeared on Kaldur's face, "Kent told Red Tornado that Kage knew how to get into the Tower of Fate."

Wally facepalmed, "Of course! Why didn't we just ask her?"

No one answered as they watched the mute pull a golden skeleton key from her hoodie pocket and pushed it out into the air, amazed to find that it disappeared into an invisible lock. She turned the key and ghostly white letters flowed out of the key whole.

 **WHAT IS THE ONE THING SHADOWS CAN'T SHARE WITH ITS HOST?**

They watched as the mute held her hand out and bowed her head to the letters, and seemingly willed her answer to the words. There was a quiet pause as the words dissipated into smoke before more appeared.

 **WELCOME BACK KAGE.**

Slowly the illusion fell away to reveal the imposing figure of the tower. The familiar warm of the tower's many shadows greeted Kage as she pushed the large wooden door open, holding it for her friends to pass, not even flinching when it closed on its own behind her.

"Um, where'd the door go?" Superboy asked uncertainly receiving a noncommittal shrug from Kage before she went to stand next to Kaldur. Her friends' puzzlement was understandable, for this was the same reaction she had to the tower when she first arrived there. She gave a lazy wave to the Kent hologram that appeared in front of them.

It looked at Kage with a smile, "Welcome back Kage, you have entered with your key and the password, but the tower does not recognize your friends." It gave a stern look the rest of the team. "Please state their purpose and intent." It was a look that demanded nothing but the truth.

Of course, only an idiot would try to lie to a magical tower. "We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate," exhibit A. Wally, in an attempt to impress M'gann, dramatically lied to the tower, earning a disappointed frown from the projection, before it disappeared. Kage in a fit of rage, stomped over to the speedster and smacked him upside the head.

"OW! What the he – Ah!" the speedster was cut off by the floor breaking from under them. Kage was engulfed in a large golden bubble that suppressed her powers and could only watched as her friends tried to save themselves from the lava pit.

She sat up in alarm when she heard Superboy's pained scream. "Those were my favorite boots," she heard him snarl. Kage cringed, he must have been wearing the boots she got him after the Amazo mission. It was no secret to the mute that Superboy thoroughly enjoyed those pair of boots due to the comfort and style they brought to his "uniform." "This Nelson guy better be worth it."

She watched helplessly as M'gann steadily began to drop from the heat. "Losing altitude," she panted as she wiped her sweating brow, "so hot!"

"You certainly are," Wally sighed dreamily.

"Wally!" Artemis shouted, offended that he would try something like that after putting them in a life or death situation.

"Hey!" he snapped. "Inches above a sizzling death! I'm entitled to speak my mind!"

"My physiology and M'gann's are susceptible to extreme heat. We must climb out quickly!" Kaldur said breathlessly. His jacket wasn't exactly helping him stay cool in the intense heat. Kage desperately tried to get their attention and frantically signed, wishing she could speak just long enough to help them. However, with her efforts, the bubble turned completely golden, hiding the mute from view.

 _I told that damned old man that there was such a thing as too much security!_

Kage nearly collapsed in relief when M'gann finally figured it out. "Hello Megan!" she tapped her forehead with a small triumphant smile. "We never truly answered the question. Red Tornado sent us to see if Mister Nelson and the helmet were safe!" she called up to the tower, hoping it could hear her.

The truth having appeased the tower, it allowed metal panels close over the lava, allowing the young heroes to land on it. Kage was unprepared for the bubble to pop since it usually brought her close to the ground before doing that. She tumbled in the air, waiting for the impact, only to find that it never came. However, she did feel a pair of arms around her. Opening her eyes, not knowing when exactly she closed them, she was met with the concerned face of her leader. She was suddenly thankful for her mask hiding her features due the heavy blush she felt forming on her cheeks as he set her down and examined the metal plates. "This platform…it should be red hot, but it is cool to the touch," Kaldur pointed out, kneeling down and feeling the cool metal.

Kage's anger from earlier was brought back when Wally tried to take this chance to flirt with M'gann, "Don't worry Megalicious, I got ya."

"Enough!" Artemis snarled just as Kage took her fist to his head. "Your little impress Megan at all costs game, nearly got us all barbequed!"

"When did this become my fault!?" Wally demanded defensively.

"When you lied to that – whatever it was – and called yourself a true believer!" the blonde stated dryly, having had enough with the ginger's recklessness.

M'gann's eyes widened in shock, "Wally, you don't believe?" Quick! Someone get that girl a pony because she looks like a kid who's told that Santa Claus isn't real.

The speedster avoided everyone's stern gazes before he caved, "Fine! Fine! I lied about believing in magic, but magic is the real lie, a major load!"

"Wally, I studied for a year at the Conservatory for Sorcery in Atlantis," Kaldur stated, still feeling the cool metal floor. "The mystic arts created the skin icons that power my water bearers."

Wally scoffed at him, "Dude, if you ever heard of bioelectricity? Hey, in primitive cultures _fire_ was once considered magical too. Today its all just a bunch of tricks." He put his hands on his hips defiantly glaring at his teammates, daring them to prove him wrong.

"You're pretty close minded for a guy that can break the sound barrier in his sneakers," Artemis said with a pointed look.

"That's science!" the ginger nearly shouted in frustration. "I recreated the Flash's laboratory experiment and here I am! Everything can be explained by science."

Kage stomped her foot on the metal platform to get their attention, her arms crossed smugly, **"You want to test that theory?"** The mute tucked the tip of her boot in the handle that appeared on the platform and promptly kicked it up.

"Wait! The backdraft from the lava will roast us alive!" he exclaimed, trying to stop the ravenette, only to blasted in the face by icy wind and snow.

M'gann put her hand out to feel the winds, "It's snow!"

"Do you ever get tired of being wrong?" Artemis asked with a smirk at Wally's unamused expression before turning her attention to Kage as she jumped through the opening. Everyone followed and found that when they jumped down through the portal, they came out horizontally on the other side. Kage didn't bother to look back at the entrance, knowing that it wasn't going to disappear soon. Everyone gave Wally pointed looks, Artemis looking especially smug. "Well?"

"Ever hear of the String Theory? We're in a pocket dimension," the ginger rationalized as if talking to a small child.

Kage sighed tiredly, regretting ever bringing the speedster if she'd known that this would have happened. "Unbelievable!" Artemis said with disbelief.

They began to walk for a while before they came upon a floating cane with a gold handle. "What's that?" M'gann asked curiously, having never seen one before.

Kage didn't answer because she was too focused on looking for the cane's owner. When she didn't find him, she figured the cane would lead her to him due to the spell the old sorcerer put on it to always find him. She grabbed it, not realizing that Artemis and Wally also grabbed it, and prepared for the object to teleport. She quickly realized they were holding it too when she heard them shout that they can't let go before shooting up into the air and leaving in a flash of light.

The mute clutched her head with her free hand when she heard the echoes of Kent's shadow's shrieks again. "You okay?" Artemis asked in concern.

Kage could only answer with a shake of her head, a sense of dread filling the pit of her stomach. Kage landed in a crouch with the can firmly grasped in her hand as she landed in the endless stairs room, aka the thinking room. It was basically a room straight out of an abstract painting where the stairs were all connected and all went up or down in different ways. She growled at the sight of Kent sprawled on the ground with Abracadabra and Klarion the Witch Boy standing over him.

"Well would you look at that," Kent smirked knowingly.

 _Damn old man knew we would grab the cane. I'm gonna give him hell for worrying me like that._ Kage was snapped from her relieved thoughts when Kent shot over to the cane in her hand. Placing a hand on his back, the mute gently placed the cane in the old man's hands, watching as his bindings broke away before the old man made an elevator door appear. "In here!" They filed in just as the Lord of Chaos was about to throw a temper tantrum.

"No, no, no! I want that helmet! I want it! I want it! I want it!" he shrieked like a spoiled brat, sending blasts of magical energy their way right as the doors closed. The doors, thankfully, muffled the brat's whining. Kage didn't hesitate to gather the Kent in a warm hug she reserved for those exceptionally close to her, earning shocked looks from her friends.

Kent chuckled at the display of affection, "It's good to see you again Kage. How much trouble have you gotten into this time?" The ravenette smacked the old man's arm playfully, earning another round of chuckles before he turned his attention to the other two teens in the elevator with them. "I'm Kent Nelson by the way," he said nonchalantly.

"No duh – ow!" Wally hissed when Artemis elbowed him in the ribs.

"I'm Artemis, Miss Manners here, is Wally," she said his name with such a dull tone, that it would have made anyone who didn't know her think that she was completely indifferent to the ginger.

Kent gave them a warm smile, "Well, Artemis, we're up against an opponent with tremendous mystic powers."

"Abracadabra?" Wally scoffed, "Flash proved he uses futuristic technology to simulate magic. The guys all show and no biz."

"Right you are," Kent agreed easily, with Kage nodding knowingly.

"He is?!" Artemis exclaimed in disbelief.

"Abra is a charlatan," Kent admitted.

" **He didn't mean Abra. He was talking about Klarion the Witch Boy, the kid with the cat. He's an actual Lord of Chaos, the ultimate enemy of a Lord of Order like Doctor Fate,"** Kage explained, getting a nod of approval from Kent.

Wally gave them a derisive look, his arms folded over his chest, "Right, you're a Lord of Order."

Kent looked down at Kage, who was chuckling at her friend's ignorance, with a raised brow. "He's not very bright is he?" Kent asked dryly.

"Hey!" Kid glared at the old man.

" **Kent isn't a Lord of Order, Wally. He's basically an old coat that Fate used to put on, until Ms. Inza convinced him that there was more to life,"** the mute corrected.

The old man pulled out a pocket watch with an old picture of a smiling woman and got a wistful look, "Ah, she was a real pistol, that Inza." He suddenly snapped out of the memory he was no doubt reliving and snapped the watch closed. "Any who, Klarion's after the helmet. If he gets his sticky little mitts on it, he'll turn our planet into his own personal playground of pandemonium," he warned somberly. He looked at the elevator doors when it dinged, letting them know that they reached the desired floor.

When the doors opened, they were met with a large golden bell that looked like it should have been in the Notre Dame. Even Wally could hear it humming with magical energy, though he was loath to admit it. The mute merely turned her head when a door appeared on the bottom of the stairs above them, dispensing the rest of her teammates. Kent raised an unimpressed brow at them, "I take it those are the rest of your friends."

Kage nodded at him and glared around, sensing Klarion and Abra nearby. Sensing danger, she grabbed Kent and pulled him down as lightning passed over their heads. "Look out!" Wally shouted as he pushed both people out of the way of another bolt. Kage helped Kent up and brought him to the bell. He rang it with his cane and they quickly walked through it, unaware of a certain cat toting witch boy flying in after them.

The bell brought them to the very top of the tower where the helmet was floating there, as if waiting for them. When Kent reached for the helmet, Kage felt Klarion's shadow and tried to reach for him. It all seemed to happen in slow motion as the blast neared the old man and the mute tried to reach him with her arm stretched out. However, she was too late, the blast hit him square in the chest and he stumbled back into her arms. He pushed himself away and raised his cane, making it glow as he muttered an incantation in Latin. The Lord of Chaos shot another blast at them, but the gold tinted shield was erected right before the blast could hit. "No!" Klarion cried in outrage.

Kent gave Wally a weak smile, as he jokingly rasped, "Not bad for a former Doctor Fake, ay kid?" With that the old man collapsed into Kage's arms. She squeezed his shoulders in worry. He pushed his pain down so he could warn the two teens, his breathing getting more and more labored. "The bubble will give you enough time to do what," he fell into a coughing fit, causing Kage tremble in dread, "you need to do."

"I have no idea what I need to do!" Wally cried out in desperation.

"Have faith," he rasped, taking in a deep breath, "in what you can't explain. Believe in what you can no longer deny." With the last of his strength, he turned his head to Kage, and giving her a small smile. "Are those tears for me, Kage?" Kage felt around the eyeholes of her mask to feel at the black beads rolling out of them, making for a gruesome sight. "I'm sorry, I'm gonna have to break our promise," he chuckled before clasping her hands in his, pushing something into it. "Take care of it for me will ya? I always wanted to leave something like this behind for my grandkids," the mute's heart clenched at what he'd just implied as his hand fell limp and his eyes fell shut. What cemented her fear was the peaceful smile on his face that made it seem like he was simply resting.

Kage put her ear to the man's chest with the false hope that he was merely unconscious, but her heart stuttered to a stop when she didn't hear the beating of the still organ. She shook her head frantically and pressed her face into his neck, mourning the loss of the man. Wally watched sadly as the mute's body shook with her silent sobs. She gently lowered the body to the ground as her sadness drained away to leave the numb remnants of emotion she could barely acknowledge. She looked up and found Klarion still hammering on the bubble with magic blasts. She rose to her feet, ignoring Wally's futile attempts to revive the empty husks. She looked down at the shadow still attached to the body and watched as it slowly detached itself from Kent's lifeless body. It rose up and took on his form before merging into her shadow to rest. She tightened her grip on the dead man's precious pocket watch and decided to put it somewhere safe. She pulled out her necklace revealing a watch of her own to Wally, who had finally accepted that the man was dead. She disconnected clipped gold watch next to the older looking one.

"I want the helmet and I want it now!" Klarion growled in frustration.

Kage rolled her shoulders back in determination before she faced Klarion. "Kage! What are you doing?!" Wally demanded as he noticed her walking to the very end of the bubble.

The mute didn't answer as she stopped in front of the barrier, waiting for the speedster to catch on and protest. He didn't disappoint.

"Are you crazy!?" the speedster demanded before he froze when Kage turned back to him. Even without looking back at him, he could see by the way her shoulders were set and how tightly her fists were clenched, that she was going to fight Klarion whether he wanted her to or not.

Bouncing on the balls of her feet once, she dropped through her shadow and jumped out right outside of the bubble. Knowing how strong Klarion was, she took her hoodie off to revel her black tank top and bandages covering her entire body, preventing any skin from being revealed, but also revealing the curves of her figure. Klarion gave her a smug grin, "Aw, is the wittle girl going to get revenge for the pathetic old man?" His patronizing tone and insult the freshly deceased man made Kage tense up poorly concealed anger. The runes on her bandages began to glow at the control she was losing over her powers as the shadows on the roof writhed with her pulsating anger.

Wally took notice of that and hissed under his breath, but he couldn't help taunting Lord of Chaos. "You shouldn't have done that!"

Klarion turned his attention to the boy and sneered at him impetuously, "Oh yeah, and why's that?"

He was answered with a fist to the face.

Kage stood where Klarion once was as he went flying to the edge of the roof. The Lord of Chaos didn't even have a second to recover before a foot landed on his stomach, pushing him down through a wooden door that suddenly appeared below them. It transported them to the endless stairwells where Abra had just started gloating over his apparent triumph. Klarion crashed into the charlatan with Kage steadily wailing on him in her rage fit. The electric nets fell away from her friends, who stared at her in awe. The room grew darker and the runes were practically on fire in a last ditch attempt to calm the raging fire that was being unleashed.

A threatening growl echoed through the room and the tower seemed to vibrate in agreement to Kage's treatment of its unwanted visitors. She felt a twinge of sadness when she thought of the tower, but quickly shoved it away to focus on the threats to said tower. Kage knew better than anyone in the League that the Tower was alive. It had emotions, and surprisingly a sense of humor despite its intimidating demeanor. What frustrated her when she first came to the Tower was how it never took her where she wanted to go, but she soon found that it would always bring her where she _needed_ to be. Whenever she was angry and needed to sulk, the tower would take her to the freezing terrain they'd walked through before this who debacle took place and let her blow off some steam so she could talk it out with Kent. Kent. The old man swore that the tower liked her more than it did him and would do things it never did for him, like one time it wouldn't let Kent in her room for one time he got really mad at her for accidentally going to the room he dedicated to Inza. Not only did it lock him out of her room, but it also locked him out of every place except for the roof and the endless stairwell.

She glared down at the pair of idiots gathering themselves to face her. Klarion's eyes were widened in shock at the strength a mere human displayed against him. _Well, he'd be half right._ She began to coolly sign to the pair, **"Kent once told me something about it being hard for beings like you and Nabu to stay on the physical plane, so I wonder what serves as your medium?"**

At having his secret discovered, Klarion's face took on less human features as glared at the mute. However, Kage took note that the cat standing at his side was glowing as red as the fire while frantic Lord of Chaos sent a barrage of fireballs at her. Without missing a beat, a staff leaped out of the girl's shadow and she spun it lazily in her fingers to deflect the attack as she slowly neared Klarion. "It doesn't matter if you can't find it!" he bluffed.

Kage clicked her tongue at the Lord of Chaos's arrogance. He wasn't as good at hiding his medium as he thought he was considering it was standing next to him. The trick is that she has to get close enough to hit it. She caught the staff in a firm grip, before swinging it up to send a wave of darkness. Klarion ripped the stone from the stairs in order to create a shield to block the half-hearted assault. He dropped the shield and gathered two fireballs in his hands, prepared to throw them if threatened. The mute changed her grip on her staff and threw it like a javelin in Klarion's direction. The witch boy erected a shield that would have deflected it had it have been aimed at him. The ground in front Klarion's cat, Teekl shattered as it was sent flying back from the mere force of the impact.

"Teekl!" Klarion cried out. He sent Kage a scathing glare full of hate, "I can't believe you would assault a defenseless pussycat!"

Kage crossed her arm and tilted her head clearly conveying the words, "Defenseless pussycat my ass." As Teekl tried to stagger to her feet, Klarion's form began to waver. He couldn't remain on the physical plane without his familiar to anchor him there.

"Bully! Killjoy! Little brat!" Klarion spat like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. Kage didn't bat an eye at this and simply threw another staff at him. Klarion's eyes widened in fear, "Holy crap!" Klarion covered his head with his hands as he created a portal behind him that sucked him out of the range of her attack, and dropped him right near Teekl. The Lord of Chaos scooped up his wounded familiar into his arms and looked down at her in concern, "We're out of here!"

Kage watched passively as the villain retreated to lick his wounds. The mute took a second to relax her tense shoulders now that the majority of the imminent threat was taken care of. Suddenly, her head snapped to the side, she managed to glance over at Abracadabra just as he captured her in one of his electrical nets. She grit her teeth as the net pushed down on her, trying to force her into a kneeling position. She vaguely heard her team's screams as pure, unadulterated rage came over her.

 _How dare he, how dare this_ _ **charlatan**_ _come here expecting me to roll over while he hurts my precious people!_ She snarled as she strained against the net, unaware of the bottom half of her mask crumbling away and the runes on her bandages burning bright. She desperately wished that she could go through the net so she could give the smug "wizard" a black eye. The runes became blindingly bright before they crumbled away, leaving chalk white skin in its wake. Her body became a black mist, but it was more violent and thick than it had been with M'gann. Abra screamed as the mist engulfed him. It was eerily quiet as he struggled before the mist finally released him. He swayed on his feet in exhaustion before collapsing onto the ground in a faint.

After that, it was as if all her strength had been drained away as she hunched over with her hands on her knees. She could still feel her muscles twitching from the residual electricity. However her entire body stilled when she felt the bare skin of her knees right above the fabric of her favorite converse boots and cool air touching the bottom half of her face. _Where are my bandages?! Did that bastard crack my break mask?!_

"Kage?"

 _Shit._

 **KALDUR POV (NEVER THOUGHT I'D DO IT DID YOU?)**

"Kage?" she stiffened at the sound of her name. I had never seen her act so violently toward a person before. Without her hoodie I can see that her hair was longer than I had originally thought. Her long, curly black hair fell to her ankles and made her seem larger than she was in reality, however I could not see her through the thick hair.

We watched with baited breath, many theories from earlier that had been tossed around earlier today running through our minds. She turned and my eyes widened at the sight of her. I honestly do not see why she would want to cover up. She has paper white skin that makes her look ethereal, curves that could make any Atlantian woman jealous, and a clear complexion. However my shock turned to horror when my gaze rose to her face. She had what Robin would call a cute button nose, and full two-toned lips pressed into a thin line. That is not what horrified me. No, that was the stitches going through her black upper lip and pink bottom lip. I vaguely wondered how she was able to eat earlier.

However more questions began to arise. How did she get those stitches? Who did this to her? If they are regular stitches, should it not be a simple task to remove them? Why does she hide? I pushed those questions to the back of my mind when I noticed Kage flinching under our gazes. I realized that we might have been giving her the wrong impression, so I walked over to her and put a hands on her shoulders, feeling slight sadness when she flinched at my touch. I looked down at her and gave her a small, reassuring smile, "We can discuss this later, right now we must report Abracadabra to the proper authorities."

I could feel her tense shoulders relax as she nodded in agreement. Superboy volunteered to stay with her while M'gann and I took Abra away.

 **3** **RD** **POV**

Kage began to walk to the bell that led to the roof, and looked back at Superboy, gesturing for him to follow. He gave his friend a concerned look as he followed and watched curiously as knocked on the bell. To his surprise, it began to glow gold, and she walked right through it! Her arm reached back out to get him when he continued to stare in shock. He stumbled out onto the roof of the Tower. Kage scanned the rooftop and found Wally and the body of Kent Nelson huddled in one of its corners. Wally sat pushed up against the stone walls, hugging his knees to his chest with forehead resting on them.

Superboy solemnly watched as Kage approached the speedster, carefully stepping around the limp body, and put a hand on his shoulder. The teen looked up at her with a sullen look, and Kage's lips twitched up in a comforting smile. Wally gave her a small one back as he and Superboy watched her summon black, silk sheets and carefully wrap Kent's body in the fabric. She bowed her head in respect for the dead before wrapping her arms around its knees and back and walking toward a door that had appeared out of seemingly nowhere, vaguely aware of the thunder rolling in the distance.

The boys followed their mute friend through the door, wondering where she was going with the deceased Kent. Through the door, they found what could have been a beautiful meadow had it not have been storming. It was as if the meadow was mourning the loss of the old sorcerer. Kage walked through the storm, to either boys' chagrin, until they came upon a white marble headstone with a woman's face carved into it. On it were the words:

 **HERE LIES INZA NELSON, THE GREATEST WOMAN TO EVER LIVE. BELOVED WIFE AND BEST FRIEND.**

The boys soon realized what Kage was about to do and backed away to give her much needed space. They watched as she dug her heel into the ground and the shadows wove into a shiny black coffin. She slid the lid off with her foot before carefully placing the body inside the cushioned box and slid the lid back in place. After that, a black shovel pulled itself out of the pitch-black earth, and Kage grabbed the handle. Kage felt the concerned looks of her friends as she began to dig Kent Nelson's grave right next to Inza's, but ignored it, focusing solely on the task at hand. Though outwardly she appeared eerily calm about burying another loved one, inside she was completely numb, as if in a trance. Her tumultuous emotions lie just below the numbness, waiting for the appropriate time to grieve.

However, the more she dug up the earth, the more memories of Kent Nelson played in her mind. Each memory brought her closer to tears that she had to painfully fight past to continue working.

* * *

 **FLASHBACK(GET READY FOR THE FEELS)**

 _Kent Nelson was taking one of his leisurely walks. This time he'd chosen to go through New Orleans. He was passing through one of the shadier parts of the city, after having visited an old friend when he heard a shuffling sound down a particularly dark alleyway. Kent stopped, raising a dubious brow to the possible mugger that would attempt to assault the old man, but his eyes widened at the sight of a small child with curly black hair and tan skin, no older than 7, limping into the light._

 _He immediately noticed that the child was clutching her stomach with blood flowing past her fingers as she braced herself against the wall of the alley. She paid no mind to the old man staring at her in horror as she numbly tried to slow the bleeding. The girl slowly turned her gaze on the frozen old man staring at her, and Kent found that he couldn't see what he felt were dead eyes staring back at him through the thick curls hanging over them. She did not have the presence of a child, but of soldier that had seen too much to ever be the same. That thought haunted him as the child's legs gave out and she collapsed half way out of the alley, halfway out of the dark._

* * *

 _1 WEEK LATER_

 _The little girl jerked awake from a nightmare, wincing in pain as she clutched her middle, vaguely wondering who took care of her. Her attention was caught by the sound of someone clearing his throat. She followed the sound to its owner and rose a skeptical brow at the fragile looking old man she saw at the alleyway before passing out. Kent, unaware at her skepticism casually began talking to her as if they'd been friends for years. "Its about time you woke up. I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever wake up," the man's voice was gruff, but welcoming._

" _Who are you?" the child asked indifferently._

 _The man smiled down at her with caring eyes, "My name is Kent Nelson, pleasure to meet you…"_

" _You can call me Kage."_

" _Ah! A little shadow are you?" Kent smirked in amusement._

 _The child gave the man a derisive snort, "Just call me by the name I gave you, old man."_

* * *

 _1 YEAR LATER_

 _It was hard for Kage to believe that she had been living in the Tower of Fate with Kent Nelson for a year. Her first week she had been unconscious, and the second she had been basically a walking corpse, refusing to eat, drink, or sleep. However, after a stern talking to from the old sorcerer, she got her act together and started enjoying Kent's company. In the year that they'd been living together, the girl had steadily grown attached to the man and began to act her age around him._

 _Kent was welcoming to the new addition to the Tower and was glad that Kage had become comfortable enough to tell him her story, and of course he listened with open ears. However, Kent had yet to mention her to the Justice League, not wanting her to get involved with the hero business at such a young age. He wanted her to experience a childhood before she had to make that decision, and it goes without saying that he was glad to see the change in the seemingly fragile girl. At the beginning of their relationship, the girl had been purely logical and showed little to no emotion unless to cynically point out the flaws of the world and humanity. Left alone, the rage and hate that was stored in that small body would have made her hate humanity and everything in it, and she wouldn't have objected to violently beating someone within an inch of their life. However, with Kent's gentle guiding hand, she was able to make some semblance of peace with herself._

 _Kent also found that the child had a love for the arts when she started drawing pictures of the very few good things of her old life. She had a surprising eye for detail for one so young. When Kent asked her about her talent, the girl shrugged and told him that she couldn't afford a camera, so to make up for it, she would draw pictures to remember it by. Kent had asked her about any other talent that he hadn't been aware of, and she sadly smiled and told him how her "brothers" taught her how to play guitar when they had downtime._

 _The sorcerer, thinking it as a chance for them to bond over something, not so subtly stated that he knew how to play the violin, and it stroked his ego when Kage looked up at him in awe. "Can you please teach me?!" the little girl begged, and Kent was happy to provide her with lessons. She proved to be a fast learner and would accompany Kent in classical songs he knew by heart._

 _Kent's birthday was nearing and Kage wanted to do something special for the old man that was kind enough to take her in. She immediately thought that she would surprise him with her skill with the violin by playing a song for him by memory, however she was hard pressed to figure what song would be best for her to play as a gift. She wanted the song to have meaning, but she also wanted it to be something she could remember. Deciding that some time away from the Tower would give her some form of inspiration, the girl walked through one of the doors that she found led back to Louisiana. Feeling a tad homesick, the girl wandered around the French Quarter looking for a music shop of any kind until she finally found a CD store._

 _She looked through the shop, unaware of the penetrating glaze glued to her back. That gaze wasn't that of the shop owner, no, that person was tied up in the storage room. This person was a man with sickly pale skin, short, slicked back black hair, a thick beard, and red eyes hidden behind shades. Kage ignored the man's presence in favor of the music collection for her birthday song for Kent. The man continued to watch her, waiting until she finally found what she appeared to be looking for before finally approaching her. "Can I help you child?" the man asked with a large fake smile, fighting back smug smirk. He thought that this job would be all too easy._

 _Kage looked up from the CD she was planning on buying, and took note of the man. Her instincts were telling her to run, and with her not being one to question it, she bolted for the door, hearing the man cursing as he chased after her. She dodged various spells, hexes, and curses in an attempt to lose her assailant. She desperately made for the door leading back to the Tower, knowing that once she passed through it, the door would be inaccessible to her pursuer. She turned down the alleyway that led to the door, only to hit a brick wall. She rubbed her head and looked up to find that she hadn't run into a brick wall, but something much worse. Standing before her was Wotan with his arms crossed._

" _I will admit that I am impressed. You made your capture much more complicated than I had expected. Under any other circumstances I would have offered you a position as my student, however I have a message to deliver from your old master," he said with a malicious grin. Needless to say the girl was terrified, as she trembled on the ground, and felt a drowsiness overtake her. Kage knew it was stemming from the sorcerer before her and desperately tried to fight the tiredness that was washing over until finally unconsciousness won out in the end._

 _When Kage woke, she found herself tied to a chair in a cold, dark place. Her eyes caught the glowing red glare of Wotan's and she felt dread pooling in the pit of her stomach. "I am glad that you have regained consciousness. He wanted you to be awake for the procedure," he said with a sick grin._

" _What procedure?" she asked anxiously. Her instincts were screaming at her to get out of there, but at the moment she didn't know how she could do that._

" _You are about to find out my dear," that grin never left his face as he approached the girl. Her screams echoed off the walls as Wotan commenced with the deed._

 _When Kent arrived with half the Justice League, they were both shocked and horrified with what they found. There was only one light hanging from the ceiling in the room and it allowed them to see Wotan's unconscious body splayed out on the floor with various cuts and bruises on his body. He looked like he was just mauled by a bear. The room itself didn't look any better, for there were scratches and cut along the walls and floor, but there was no sign of the cause of the destruction. Kent cautiously stepped into the room with the others trailing behind, they scanned the room for the child until sniffling caught their attention. There in the far corner of the room was Kage hugging her knees to her chest with her forehead resting on them. Her small shoulders were trembling as she sniffled and hiccupped, occasionally twitching, as if sensing an imminent danger. Batman, who had been the closest to Kage, made to put a hand on the girls shoulder, but had to jerk it back when a large black claw swiped at him. He jumped back, but the claw didn't follow him, instead it held itself protectively in front of the small figure as another claw interlocked with it to hide the crying child. Both hands were twice the child's size and protectively curled in on the child, surprisingly the girl relaxed at their touch as she reached out a hand to place her hand on the large palm of the claws._

 _The heroes followed the arms of the claws into the shadow on the wall that seemed to connect to the little girl, and were taken aback by the blazing amber eyes glaring at them. "Okay, I'm officially freaked out," Flash declared as he backed away from the strange girl and her shadow._

" _Kage?" Kent called worriedly to the girl, wary of the shadow beast that seemed to be serving as her guard dog. His worry increased when he heard no sound from the girl he'd began to think of as a granddaughter._

" _Kent you might want to see this," Superman said, kneeling next to Wotan with a piece of paper and a photo in his hands. Moving faster than someone his age probable should, Kent looked over the Man of Steel's shoulder and paled at what he saw._

 _The picture was of Kage and two older boys and on her face was a rare bright smile. However the faces of the boys were crossed out with black permanent marker. Written in black cursive on the piece of paper were the words, "As the old saying goes, snitches get stitches."_

 _Their blood ran cold at the implications of the note. They slowly turned back to where the shadow was steadily glaring at them, though it allowed them to see its master's huddled form. "Kage, sweetheart, look at me please," Kent asked, afraid of what he would find._

 _The little girl slowly picked her head up to face the old man. The entire league gasped at what they saw. No longer was the girl tan, but now she had paper white skin with pitch-black stitches running through her bloody, trembling lips. Her hair was messy and black tear tracks stained her round cheeks. The old man kneeled in front of the girl, looking at the shadow for permission, and hugged the little girl to his chest, rocking back and forth to comfort her. The League watched on solemnly, not sure what to do about the girl's situation._

 _They had made various attempts to remove the stitches, but no method succeeded. They came to the conclusion that whatever magic Wotan used to put the stitches in was powerful, and they weren't sure they'd be able to remove them. Kage saw the grief and sadness in Kent's eyes when she returned, so she devised a plan to cheer him up, or rather, she stuck with her old birthday gift. She still remembered the song and was able to find it on her laptop so she could practice it._

 _Finally, when Kent's birthday came, Kage pulled Kent from his studies to the roof where the Helmet of Fate resided. There she began to play the song, dancing along as she played. She was happy to find that Kent's face lit up in surprise at the gift he received. The shadow's claws appeared with a white poster in its hands with the words,_ _ **"HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLD MAN!"**_ _The shadow pulled up another poster,_ _ **"WE NOTICED HOW SAD YOU WERE, SO WE THOUGHT PLAYING YOU A SONG WOULD CHEER YOU UP."**_

 _Kent was amazed by the effort the pair put into the gift, especially with the shadow being wary of him initially. He huffed and shook his head as he gathered the girl into his arms._ What did I do to ever deserve this child? Here she is comforting me and she's the one who was kidnapped and has stitches through her lips.

 _Kage squeezed the old man and felt her shoulder grow wet with his tears, but she had no reason to worry, because they were tears of joy. She pushed the man back at arms length to show him a poster she hid inside her shirt._ _ **"We'll get the stitches out, and the moment I do, I'll sing you a song. Promise me you won't die until then, okay old man?"**_ _Kage childishly held out her pinkie finger to the old man._

 _Kent gave the girl a barking laugh and wrapped his larger, wrinkled pinkie around hers, "I'll hold you to that Little Shadow."_

* * *

 **BACK TO THE PRESENT**

Kage was halted from her digging when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to find Kaldur with a sympathetic expression. "I think this will be deep enough, Kage," he said, making the girl take note of how deep a grave she'd dug. It had to be at least ten feet deep, and she probably would have dug even deeper if Kaldur hadn't of stopped her. She was so lost in her memories, she didn't even realize how much mud had caked in her hair, or how worried her friends had gotten that she didn't come up for a break at least once.

She nodded at her leader and climbed out much faster than she have been able to, stopping only to help Kaldur out since he was having a difficult time navigating the slippery surface. She made sure that no one was standing close to the hole to freshly dug grave in fear that they might fall in before moving to Kent's coffin. The team solemnly watched in respectful silence as Kage rested a hand on the coffin, as if to say a final goodbye. They were vaguely curious when she stepped back from the coffin, but settled for wide-eyed shock when two large clawed hands rose from her shadow and lifted the wooden box. They watched as the claws lowered the coffin into the hole and pushed the mud and dirt over it. The master of said shadow moved around the freshly placed earth and formed a black marble headstone with Kent's face carved into it. She dug it into the moist earth and held it there for a few seconds to make sure it didn't shift. She pressed her head to the cool marble for a few moments before turning to the team and nodding, allowing her shadow to rest once more as she left with them. She spared one last look at the pair of gravestones when they were barely in sight, and her stitched lips twitched up in a small sad smile as one final black tear rolled down her masked face.

 _It's what the old man would have wanted_.

MOUNT JUSTICE

AUGUST 20, 03:48 EDT

The team watched as Kage brought the Helmet of Fate to the souvenir shelves and carefully placed it there along with a hand drawn picture of Kent Nelson. "You think she'll be alright?" Artemis asked in concern for the masked girl.

"I think she'll be fine," Superboy gave her a small smile, watching as she stepped back to look at her small shrine with her hands on her hips.

 **RECOGNIZED RED ARROW: B06**

Roy ran up to the team and bent over with his hands on his knees, breathing as if he just ran 100 miles. "I just heard from Red Tornado. Where is she?" he said between gasps of breath. They all calmly pointed in the girl's direction and the ginger followed it to where the girl stood tall, admiring her work. The archer shook his head in exasperation and relief, "That girl has too much strength for a 15 year old. One day she's going to break and won't know what to do."

Kaldur put a comforting hand on the redhead's shoulder, "And when that day comes, we will be there to put her back together. All of us." He looked at each of his teammates' faces, seeing just how much the mute had already deeply rooted herself within each of their hearts.

Roy didn't hesitate to run to his roommate's side. She looked at him in concern while rubbing soothing circles on his back as he nearly keeled over when he reached her. He put a hand on her shoulder while signaling for her to wait a moment before his breath evened out and he straightened up. He gave the smaller girl a sympathetic look, "You alright? I know it's a lot to take in considering you'll be going to visit them."

Kage managed to give him a small, pained smile, **"Not right now, no, but I will be eventually."**

Roy sighed and reluctantly held his arms out for a hug, knowing she needed it, and stumbled back when she literally jumped into him and buried her face into his chest. He huffed and rested his chin on Kage's head, turning away from the group of teens watching them so they wouldn't see his embarrassed blush.

* * *

 **Thank you all for your follows and reviews, they mean so much to me. Also I need you all to be patient with me what with school starting and all my classes being dual enrollment, my updates will be pretty slow. However, I guarantee you that it will be worth the wait.**

 **I was looking forward to this chapter because it has a lot of exposition on Kage's part. It drops a bunch of hints. Also, I felt that the show kind of swept Kent under the rug after he died and no one even gave the man a funeral even though he was in the Justice Society before the League was ever assembled. Of course, I also wanted Kage to have familial ties to Kent Nelson because I feel that he could have given the poor girl the childhood she almost didn't have the chance to have. Oops! I've said too much!**

 **Now that that announcement is out of the way, its time to thank all the people who favorite/follow my story and me!**

 **Thank You to…**

 **TohruOrihime**

 **Freddie4153**

 **.177**

 **Coralineey**

 **DarkShadowEclipse**

 **Gabriel**

 **Britneynene**

 **KinzerWinzer**

 **danielmadcliffe**

 **CrystalSiigonis10**

 **lek99**

 **Miss Baby Bear**

 **nene9131**

 **xburner21**

 **Abelle 72**

 **Brooke Vengence**

 **Thank you all for the support and I promise I'll update as soon as I can, as a matter of fact, I'm starting the next chapter right now. This is Hidden Berserker signing off. Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**HELLO EVERYONE! I'm glad to report that this is the update for Battle Scars. Yay! This will be a big moment for Kage, because you finally get to find out some important stuff about her.**

 **Its time to answer the reviews!**

 **Angela(Guest): Yes Kage will be paired with Kaldur, but I want the relationship to be as natural as possible. Also thank you for the compliment.**

 **Darkheart126: I hope you like this chapter!**

 **Guest: I feel loved!**

 **asery rim(Guest): I'm feeling extra fucking awesome because of you!**

 **supchild6414: YOU'RE AWESOME!**

 **Peace-n'-Luv-4601: They're everywhere!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I HIDDEN BERSERKER DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE AND ITS CHARACTERS THEREFORE ALL WHO WANT TO SUE ME GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE BEFORE I DECIDE TO GRAB THE SHOT GUN.**

 **Now let the story begin.**

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY**

 **AUGUST 27, 06:17 EDT**

To put it simply, the team was getting their asses handed to them because Aqualad had just been thrown back into the metal walls of the warehouse, and Kage was the only one capable of handling the imminent threat that was Clayface. . She took a headcount of who was actually conscious and was sorely disappointed that she was the only one left to protect them. Her instincts were screaming at her to get them out of there, but she resigned herself to going up against the villain, watching as his large muddy feet neared her with trepidation.

The villain chuckled at the mute, dwarfing her as he neared. He roared at the girl and formed his hand into a mallet and prepared to bring it down on her, when she formed a large black, bubble around the villain. Kage was exhausted, but she forced herself to hold the shield until either the monster tired himself out, or one of her teammates regained consciousness.

Suddenly the mute felt as if a herd of elephants was trampling over her. Apparently Clayface didn't appreciate being captured in trapped in a bubble. _This is gonna bite me in the ass later, I can just tell._ Kage gritted her teeth as she endured the body racking pain that strain of keeping the shield up while Clayface continuously tried to break it. She felt thick liquid run flowing from her eyes and nose with some of the fluid flowing out of the holes of her mask. She was suddenly grateful for her teammate's unconscious states because she didn't want them to see her like this.

Clayface continued to pound on the shield when a deafening crack rang through the empty warehouse. Kage's blood ran cold as she felt the thick black liquid clogging her throat and Clayface gave a sinister crooked toothed grin. She held on for as long as she possibly could before letting out a strangled scream as the bubble finally shattered along with the window above their heads as Batman dropped in. The mute sighed in relief as she watched the older hero throw a pair of batarangs at Clayface, gaining his attention. The villain guarded his face with his arm, but the batarangs buried themselves deep in his fist and forearm, and exploded in his face, tearing his arm off in the process. Clayface tried to crush the Dark Knight under his other arm, but the Bat dodged it and used a stun gun to destabilize the villain. Clayface screeched in pain as he appeared to melt under the high voltage of electricity running through his body.

Batman finally acknowledged the two conscious teens, Aqualad having woken up to see Kage form the bubble around Clayface. Kage forced herself to stay standing as Batman approached them, and when he was close enough, she allowed her muscles to relax. Immediately the exhausted girl collapsed into the Batman's arms as he glared down her leader. It was at that moment, Kaldur knew, he fucked up.

* * *

By the time they returned to the cave, Kage had regained consciousness, but had yet to regain mobility anywhere below her neck. "I need to talk to Aqualad," she could feel his chest rumble against her ear, "the rest of you hit the showers and head home."

He handed Kage off to Superboy, and he grimaced at the bloody sight of his sister figure. Her bloody mask was an unsettling sight to the clone. He scoffed at the older hero, "Head home? I _am_ home." Kage didn't miss the bitter tone of voice and inwardly winced as he brushed passed Batman. Superboy had told her once that he when he first met Superman that he had hoped that he would live with him since they were kind of related, but was sorely disappointed when he dropped him in the cave, basically abandoning him. It was an understatement to say that Kage was angry with the Big Blue Boy Scout.

Needless to say that Aqualad was scared shitless that the Batman wanted to talk to him, and he was certain of the topic that would be discussed. He was ashamed to admit that he had been distracted on the mission, and to make things worse Kage was incapacitated due to his distant mind. Robin stopped beside Aqualad, looking up at his mentor. " _Just_ Aqualad."

Robin winced and gave Kaldur a pitying glance before walking off. This was not going to end well. "I am sorry you had to intervene," the Atlantean blurted out, "I know the team performed poorly –"

"The _team_ performed adequately the problem was you. You're their leader and your head wasn't in the game," Batman admonished. Aqualad's bowed head shot up in defense.

"No! You are –" he sighed reluctantly, "correct. Of late I'm not even convinced I belong on the surface world, for so many years it filled my every thought, but now that I am here, my dreams are all Atlantis."

Batman narrowed his eyes at the blonde, "Atlantis, or someone you left behind?" Aqualad looked up at the Gotham Knight in shock at having been discovered. Contrary to popular belief Batman did understand and feel emotions he just doesn't show them. "You can split your time between the surface and the sea, but not your mind. Either you're here one hundred percent or you need to walk away because if something like this happens again, Kage might not survive the next mission." Batman stated in his usually brutally honest manner, knowing the repercussions of the mute's earlier actions, "Make a decision Kaldur, and make it soon."

Batman left the Atlantean to think. Deciding that he needed fresh air, Aqualad exited the cave and was met with the sight of a clean Kage sitting on the ledge where she showed him the dragonflies, sitting crossed legged with a book in her lap. "You should be resting," he stated in concern.

A few dragonflies circled around his head and he glanced at them, taking note that they were in the beautiful colors he had originally thought only Atlantis possessed. **"You're homesick again,"** Kage signed to him without looking up from her book, ignoring his previous statement.

Kaldur grimaced, slightly bewildered that she could read him so easily, but then again, he found her perceptiveness insanely helpful. He sighed and made to sit next to her, taking note that her hair was pulled over her shoulder, cushioning her elbows and the book that rested on her legs, and her new mask was skewed so one would be able to see the bottom half of her face, "Is it that obvious?" The mute shrugged and held her index and thumb close to each other, "A little bit?"

The ravenette simply nodded, **"Who do you miss?"** The question was asked in nonchalance, but Kage was honestly wondering who affected her leader so much that he couldn't focus during missions.

Kaldur sighed and leaned forward, knowing he couldn't fool his partner if he tried, "Her name is Tula. I left her in Atlantis when I decided to abandon my studies and live on the surface to fight crime. Lately I find myself feeling… regret for not ever telling her how I felt."

The mute nodded in understanding, ignoring the slight pang of unrecognizable emotion in her chest. **"You're unsure whether you want to be with her in Atlantis, or to stay here and continue leading the team,"** it was more of a statement than a question. Kage vaguely noticed the violet and grey dragonflies resting in her hair. Kaldur stayed silent as his frown deepened.

"What do you think I should do?" he valued the girl's opinion considering it helped him and the team on more than one occasion.

" **I think you should do what makes you feel happy. If you were anyone else I'd say you could divide your time between the two, but in the time I've known you, I've found that you couldn't. It's impossible for you to do anything half-assed, therefore you, my friend, are at a crossroads,"** Kage answered vaguely. **"I can't tell you what to do because it wouldn't be** _ **you**_ **making that decision, however I can help you find out what you want more."**

Kaldur gave the mute, who has yet to look at him, a curious glance, "What do you suggest?"

Kage chuckled to herself, surprised that her friend didn't see the simple answer to his own question as the dragon fly that decided to perch itself on her hand launched into flight. **"Elementary my dear Watson. All you have to do is visit Atlantis and see what you feel. If your heart tells you that you should stay, then stay. If it doesn't, you have your answer. Your problem is that you're thinking with this,"** she poked his head, **"instead of this."** She poked the blonde's chest to get her point across.

"How will I know what my heart is telling me?" he asked uncertainly, subconsciously giving the mute the kicked puppy eyes.

 _Holy shit! That look should be illegal! It's too adorable for words at the moment._ Kage sighed in exasperation, knowing what she'd have to do to help her friend. **"If it helps I could go with you, but we'll have to go later in the day,"** she offered, and watched as Kaldur perked up at the idea. Well, as the saying goes, misery loves company.

"Why?"

" **Why would we go later in the day? I have some people I have to visit, and I –"**

"No, not that. Why would you go all the way to Atlantis with me, just so I can confess my feelings to one girl?" he asked skeptically.

Kage's lips pressed into a firm line in thought, before giving him a frown, **"You're my friend, and I want my friends to be as happy as they possibly can, if it means that I travel to the bottom of the ocean and get him to express his feelings for a girl, then so be it."**

Kaldur was touched by Kage's devotion. He never questioned her as a loyal ally to the team, but he was uncertain whether she could consider him a friend or not, knowing that she was closer to Superboy and Red Arrow than him. She seemed rather indifferent to everyone else. "Thank you, my friend." He couldn't deny the pride at finding her lips twitching up at him.

" **I have to get going if I we want to get to Atlantis at a good time,"** the mute stiffly stood up, allowing her shadow to swallow her book.

"Are you alright?" the Atlantean inquired in concern.

" **I'll be fine now that I'm moving around, but I will be sore for a while. I should be fine by the time we leave though,"** she signed deftly. Kaldur nodded in understanding, but he still felt concerned for his silent friend.

"Should?" Kaldur asked worriedly.

Kage stopped and looked down, wondering if she trusted him enough to tell him. She wasn't close enough to him for her to be divulging her life story, but this was important enough information that could be dangerous if kept to herself. She sighed and reluctantly explained, **"My powers have been acting strangely as of late. I'm starting to hear these whispers coming from every shadow in my sensory range."**

"Have you always been able to do this, or are they only becoming sentient now?" Kaldur asked curiously as they disappeared behind the cave walls.

The mute shook her head, **"They've always been sentient, but they've never spoken to me, and if they do, I wasn't able to hear. Now that I apparently can, they constantly try to tell me everything they know. Who knew that shadows were huge snitches?"** They stopped in front of the Zeta tubes, Kage setting it for New Orleans to take care of her business.

"I never would have guessed. Wait, did my shadow tell you everything already?" he asked uncomfortably.

The mute gave a breath chuckle, **"It didn't have to, I noticed it from that dazed look you've been wearing lately."** Kage could have sworn that the Atlantean's cheeks grew red in embarrassment, but decided not to call him out on it, deciding that he suffered enough. She slid her mask back into place and waved at Kaldur as the Zeta tubes began humming with energy. **"See you later."**

* * *

 **NEW ORLEANS**

 **AUGUST 27, 8:20 CDT**

Kage began to question Batman's sanity when he made one of the Zeta tube transporters in the form of a dumpster. Then again, she was pretty sure it was payback for that one time she dyed one of his capes pink.

The shadows of the alleyway the dumpster resided in were happy to be used to pull out her light cycle, and with a silent nod of thanks to the blackness she left them to their business. The inhabitants of the city turned to stare at Kage before minding their own business. This is what she loved about the south, there was an unsaid law of "don't ask don't tell," they don't ask and she doesn't tell. It was a quiet ride to St. Louis Cemetary. She parked the bike and allowed it to sink into its own shadow as she slowly walked through the cemetery. She followed a familiar path past Marie Laveau's grave to a willow tree resting at the edge of the property. Under the willow tree was a pair of gravestones. Her riding suit faded away, leaving behind a black sundress as she knelt before the graves and brushed off the dust that had accumulated in the past since she last came.

She rested both her hands on the graves and bowed her head in respect for the dearly departed. She fell into a meditative trance as she went into her annual ritual. _Hi guys, I'm back for another year. Both of you should be proud of me, I managed to last nine years without you. I made a lot of new friends. You guys remember Roy right? Well, he introduced me to his friends and I joined a team of kids like me! Well, they're not exactly like me, they don't know the things we do or the things we've been through, but we're steadily getting better as a team. They'll never replace either of you, but I'm not trying to. No one can ever replace you goofballs in my heart. I think you'd like them, there's a guy named Superboy, and get this, he's Superman's clone! He's really nice, although he does have a rough exterior, but once you look past the angry teen issues he's alright. Then there's Robin, he's a little shit, always being snarky and a total smartass, but he makes me laugh. Miss Martian is, you guessed it, a Martian, but her real name is M'gann. She's so bubbly and nice, though it can come to be a bit much, but she means well. Kid Flash is a total flirt, his real name is Wally, and it's really annoying how he's been trying to take my mask lately. Of course the keyword is trying, but this guy won't give up, he's determined to see my real face. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that though. I mean don't get me wrong, I want to show them, but in my own time. Then there's Aqualad, our leader, this guy had the bright idea to make me his second. So far all I've done is "yell" at the others to get their heads out their ass and focus, but hey, I'm good at it. Lately he's been feeling homesick, and I can relate, this city has so many good memories and I'm always a little sad when I leave. I still have the pictures I drew of all those good times. Anyways, he hasn't been feeling like he belonged on a team, so I gave him some of my grade A advice, but of course I got sucked into this too. At least I get to see Orum again, because he's pretty fun to talk to and he knows sign language so that's a plus._

The girl sighed and took her mask off, placing it between the headstones. _I wish you could experience these things with me, but I've long accepted the fact that you're both…gone. I guess I'm still not comfortable saying the "d" word though. I should be leaving soon, I promised Kaldur that I'd go with him to Atlantis._ She grabbed her mask and stood up, staring into its empty eyes in thought. She tucked it under her chin and signed to the graves, **"Until we meet again."** However she still didn't leave, she stared at the words carved on the headstones, her body tensing as she felt someone slowly approaching her. When their hand touched her shoulder, she sprang into action, flipping them over her shoulder and straddling their waist with a knife at their neck in one smooth movement.

The man under her chuckled lightly at the girl towering over him, never taking her eyes off him as she slowly stood up and stared at him warily. "I see your time away hasn't dulled your blade," he said with a proud smirk.

" **What do you want? I know you didn't come all the way out here to test me,"** Kage signed curtly to the one eyed man.

He sighed in mock sadness, "Can't a teacher visit their student?"

 **"I'm not in the mood for your games,"** any doubts of the ability to snarl in sign language were eliminated, but she let him up in spite of that.

"Well that's no way to teach your former teacher," the man dressed in an expensive suit chided, as if speaking to a small child.

 **"Don't patronize me! I don't work for you anymore!"** she would have continued if she didn't pick up on something. Her eyes snapped to his fingers that twitched three times, letting her know that they were being watched. She stood ram rod straight as the man approached her with open arms.

The man wordlessly embraced the smaller girl and whispered in her ear. "I don't have much time to explain, but please listen to me. Now that they know that you're alive they'll be gunning for you and they might use your teammates against you. The Grand Master wasn't exactly happy to find that Wotan didn't do his job right. I don't want you to be the next one in the grave or for you to be digging another after already having to do three. I'm asking as your teacher that you be careful," he demanded urgently.

Kage, shocked by the man's concern for her, nodded in agreement. They released each other, and the one eyed man put his large hand on the girl's head and gave her a small smile, "Don't die."

The girl sighed wistfully, _You know something's wrong when the criteria for my shenanigans is "don't die."_ She picked up her fallen masked and replaced it on her face.

* * *

 **POSEIDONIS**

 **AUGUST 27, 13:00 UTC-2**

 **Recognize: Aqualad B02, Kage B13**

Kaldur and Kage took a couple of steps away from the Zeta tubes and pushed off, swimming towards a certain blonde king. Kage had changed before hand into the same one piece she'd worn on Santa Prisca, however now she had white wetsuit pants with a blue sash around her hips, she kept her feet bare, knowing that any shoes she'd bring would be ruined by the water.

" _Greetings, Kaldur'ahm, Kage."_ Aquaman said in Atlantean, Kage nodded her head in greeting as she allowed the man to hug her.

Kaldur smiled with pride and gave the Atlantean salute, "King Orin." The swam beside Orin, taking in the sights of the underwater city.

" _The Queen and I are hosting an intimate dinner tonight,"_ the king said casually. _"Will both of you attend?"_

Kage nodded her head and gave the blonde a thumbs up in acceptance, **"Wouldn't miss it for the world."**

" _Your Majesty,"_ Kaldur said, gaining both of their attention. _"There is someone…special…I had hoped to see tonight –"_

" _You may invite a friend,"_ Orim said reassuringly, giving the pair a knowing look.

Kaldur's face lit up in joy, _"Thank you, My King."_

They split ways at the end of the hall, Kage trailing behind Kaldur. She couldn't help but feel like she could have stayed home if he was enjoying being home so much. She felt as if she were intruding on something sacred. Kaldur however didn't see it that way, for he was overjoyed that he was able to share his home with one of his close friends. Kage had been to Atlantis more than once, but the furthest she'd ever been was the palace and that was it. She enjoyed the tour that Kaldur gave her as they headed to the conservatory.

Kage marveled at the many different types of magic that the students were learning as she passed, awed by the entire concept of a school of magic actually existing. Aqualad was amused by his friend's rare display of curiosity and excitement as she flitted around, he'd often find himself looking for her out the corner of his eyes to make sure that she didn't get lost. They stopped by an octopus faced boy, putting together what seemed to be an artistically ruined tapestry, made to look ancient, but the vibrant coloration told a different story.

"I'll never finish in time!" he huffed as he put more pieces onto the tapestry displaying a picture of Aquaman fighting Ocean Master.

"Topo, the workmanship is magnificent," Kaldur complimented, gazing intently at the piece.

He turned around in surprise taking in the eel tattooed boy and the masked girl, "Kaldur! W-wait! Watch, listen." Topo waved his hand over the tapestry and his magic seemed to bring the pictures to life. "Our beloved King was at the mercy of the vile Ocean Master, but two young students, Kaldur'ahm and Garth intervened." The pictures shifted, showing Kaldur and who Kage assumed was Garth in typical Greek style creating a electric water current that knocked Ocean Master off his feet long enough for Aquaman to defeat him. "Allowing the Aquaman to triumph!" It shifted to a scene where Kaldur and Garth were kneeling before Orim in what looked like the throne room, "Impressed with their valor, Aquaman offered both young heroes the opportunity to be his protégé." The textiles shifted again to show Garth creating the electrical current by himself with Topo in the background, "Garth chose to continue his studies at the Conservatory of Sorcery." Garth shifted out of view to show Aquaman standing behind Kaldur with his arms crossed, and Topo spoke almost reverently of him, "But the brave Kaldur accepted his king's offer and became Aqualad!"

Kage clapped for the young sorcerer for his talented story telling skills and the ability to shift the tiles around to create a moving picture story. "Thank you for the applause, Miss…" Topo trailed off. Kage signed her name and Kaldur readily supplied the translation before staring at the tapestry. Topo and Kage looked at Aqualad in concern for he had been quiet throughout the entire tale. "Kaldur, I-I mean Aqualad?" Topo called out hesitantly, noting the distracted look on his face.

"O-oh! It is very good," he answered patiently.

Topo sighed in relief at having his opinion, "Oh thank you! Um, do you think its alright that I put myself in? I know I was not really there but I –"

"It is fine," Kaldur said absently, putting his hand on the structure. "Do you know where I might find Tula now… and Garth?"

Kage tilted her head at this, for someone who was supposed be his friend, he sure put him as an afterthought to this Tula person. She wondered what the girl was like if she put her friend on Cloud 9 and he hadn't even confessed his feelings yet.

"On the roof at their studies," Topo answered easily. Without another thought, Kaldur took off. Kage hurriedly waved good-bye to Topo and followed after him. Though Kage was much faster than Kaldur on land, it took a lot more effort to keep up with him underwater because this is what he was born into. She may have been a strong swimmer, but not as strong as the average Atlantean.

* * *

When they arrived, they were met with the sight of two humanoid Atlanteans sparring with each other, while Queen Mera watched with a critical eye. They had just stopped to listen to their teacher when Mera caught sight of the pair swimming towards her. Her deep green eyes lit up in joy, "Kaldur'ahm, Kage, so good to see you!"

Both students turned at the mention of the former's name. "Kaldur!" a pretty redheaded Atlantean girl with pretty sea foam green eyes wearing a yellow tube top and blue cloth skirt with yellow fingerless gloves and cloth on her feet of the same color. Beside her was a lavender eyed boy with black hair in a topknot around the same age as Kage in a blue suit that showed off his toned arms and legs. Kaldur stood on his feet in front of the Queen and watched as Kage hugged the older woman gently, being mindful not to barrel into her. "Apologies My Queen, I did not mean to interrupt," he formally saluted her.

Mera merely gave him a gentle, motherly smile, "It is well, I have another class. Will I see either of you at dinner?"

Kaldur stood stock still and firmly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Kage nodded and gave her a thumbs up. Mera's smile widened at their replies, "We shall talk then, and Kage, I'll let Orum know that you're visiting, he'll be excited to show you his newest discovery." The mute perked up at this. The day Orum and Kage met they hit it off immediately, though the language barrier was a bit of issue. Kage found herself more interested in his adventure stories about how he finds each of the artifacts within his possession than Orin's battle stories, and the prince was only too happy to share them. During her visits to the aquatic city, the two would be nearly inseparable, sharing stories and learning facts about each other's culture. If she were to be honest with herself, she'd say that Orum was like an estranged older brother that was eager to know what he'd missed while he was gone.

Kaldur was wondering how Kage knew Prince Orum when Tula brought him from his thoughts, "You look well, Kaldur." She gave him a hug in greeting.

"Yes, surface life agrees with you," Garth agreed, his eyes wandered over to the masked girl.

"You speak as if I have been gone for years but it has only been –"

"Two months," the pair answered in unison.

"That long?" Kaldur muttered to himself. A glint of determination appeared in the blonde's eyes, "Then I must make up for lost time, but before that, I'd like both of you to meet a friend of mine from the surface world. Kage these are the friends I told you about, Tula and Garth" Kaldur gestured to said girl, who had been silently floating a few feet away, allowing the friends to have their private reunion.

"Pleasure to meet you," Tula said, offering her hand to the mute who took it with a nod.

"I've never seen a surface dweller before," Garth said with an excited grin. Kage held out her arms as if to say, "Tada!" earning a laugh from both Atlanteans. Kaldur was relieved to find that his old friends were getting along well with his new friend.

"Tula, I wanted to ask you a question," Kaldur said slowly, after taking a calming breath.

Tula gave him a small smile, "What is it Kaldur?"

Kage put a hand on his back as he took deep breath to gather his courage. "Would you accompany me to dinner tonight at the palace?" Said redhead and Garth shared a troubled look, which didn't go unnoticed by Kage, it had a deeper meaning than Kaldur had interpreted. "Garth, if you like you could accompany Kage so you could get to know each other," Kage stiffened at this. _Did he just set me up on a date with his friend?_ Don't get Kage wrong. She thought Garth was nice enough, but she didn't come to the bottom of the ocean to be Kaldur's wingman. She came for moral support and to visit Prince Orim, nothing more, nothing less. Had she known Kaldur would do this, she would have stayed home with Superboy and M'gann.

Tula gave Kaldur a forced smile as Garth glared pointedly at her, "We… have another class, but we will see you tonight." The pair swam away and Kage could hear what their shadows were whispering to each other, and it didn't bode well for Kaldur. Kage turned to her friend and quickly signed, **"I'm going to visit Prince Orum. He's probably overworking himself again."**

Kage took off before Kaldur could comment because she was still partially miffed that he'd attempt to shove her off on poor Garth. As soon as she was out of the blonde's sight, she took off after Tula and Garth. She caught up to them over a reef.

"Tula we have to tell him at some point – ow!" Garth rubbed his sore nose that went face first into a black fabric covered stomach. He flinched at the sight of Kage, looking down at him with her arms crossed. It would be an understatement to say that she wasn't happy with them.

"H-hello Kage! I-is there something you needed?" Tula asked with a nervous smile, but winced under the unwavering gaze of the deceptively smiling mask. Kage held a hand out, palm up and boredly waited for the shadows to form into a completely black ball-point pen.

They watched in awe as she began to write in the space of water in front of them, ignoring Tula's question, **"Why didn't you tell Kaldur?"** The English lettering shifted into Atlantean and the letters seemed to shift with water. Tula grimaced at the blunt question.

"T-tell him what?" Tula asked, attempting to play dumb.

However Kage saw through her obvious lie, and the redhead could feel the mute's glare intensifying as she furiously wrote, **"Don't play dumb, I know that you and Garth are together, and you're well aware of how Kaldur feels about you. Why won't you tell him instead of leading him on like that?"**

Tula looked at Garth, who gave her a pointed glare, "I was going to tell him, but then he invited me to the palace. He had so much hop in his eyes that I could not say no in fear of hurting him."

Kage softened her glare, but only a little, **"True, it may have hurt, but if you don't tell him soon, you'll break his heart. If you would have just told him, he would have understood, sure it would have hurt him, but he'd try to get over it. However, trying not to hurt him doesn't excuse the fact when you do tell him, or if he finds out before you do. I'd be surprised that he would forgive either of you for keeping it from him. You're his friends, he would have been happy that you two are happy."**

The couple looked down in shame at the truth behind her words. They were also surprised at the wisdom that the mute displayed, and even managing to stay calm where they would have been in a rage if they were in this kind of situation. Garth finally spoke up and gave her a hopeless look, "What do you suggest we do about it?"

Kage gave a long suffering sigh, and deftly wrote, **"** _ **Both of you**_ **will tell him tonight and no later. He deserves to hear it from you so he can at least have the comfort of having you tell him instead of finding out on his own."** Without another word, Kage swam off to Science Center, where she was sure Prince Orum was, examining something or another. She needed to take her mind off the predicament her friend was unknowingly put in.

* * *

Fortunately for her, she found Orum being led by one of the head researchers toward the Science Center's building. Luckily for her they weren't in a rush or else she never would've caught up to them. She swam tight circles around the pair, getting them caught up in the current she created. They laughed in amusement at the small teen's enthusiastic greeting. She stopped in front of the two men, waiting for them to regain their composure, and waved when Orum's deep blue eyes landed on her with a large excited grin. He decided to try his hand at sign language, to see how far he'd come since the last time they'd met. **"When did you get here, little shadow?"**

Kage's chest squeezed painfully in remembrance of the man who gave her that name, but pushed the feeling away in favor of answering Orum's question, **"I just got here today with Kaldur. I figured you'd want to see your favorite person before dinner tonight. By the way, your sign language has improved alot."** Orum chuckled and thanked the girl as they swam through the heavily guarded doors of the Center.

"It is disturbing to say the least," the head researcher said, referring to what looked like a giant starfish encased in a block of ice. "The creature is frozen, has been frozen for millennia, yet somehow, it still lives. We have even detected brainwaves. Needless to say Prince Orum the study of this find has become the Science Center's highest priority." Kage could hear a faint heartbeat coming from the creature. She tilted her head in a trance, listening to the shadow of the possibly prehistoric creature whisper to her.

A female guard that had been trailing behind them looked to Orum, "All security protocols are in place. No unauthorized personnel get in or out."

"Excellent," the prince said absently as he returned his attention to the creature. Suddenly his eyes lit up in realization, and he turned to his mute friend. "Kage, what do you sense from the echinoderm's shadow?"

Assuming that he meant the starfish, Kage answered honestly, **"The shadow isn't moving. I can hear it whispering, but I don't know what it's saying. There are too many voices trying to drown it out."**

"Voices?" Orum asked curiously. Kage suddenly realized that Orum didn't know about the advancement of her powers. She signed that she would tell him later and the prince accepted this with a nod. Kage helped the researchers and Orum gather more data on the frozen starfish before they left. They swam in companionable silence until they reached the palace and arrived at a gazebo they frequented when they needed to talk in private. "When were you going to tell me that you could hear the voices of shadows?" he asked, as if he'd just caught the mute with her hand in the cookie jar.

Kage nervously rubbed the back of her neck and huffed a nervous laugh. **"I honestly forgot that you didn't know, even then, I only discovered this ability recently,"** she shrugged as if to say, what can you do.

Prince Orum allowed that answer to pacify him before his dark greenish blue eyes lit up with barely contained curiosity. "What do shadows sound like? What do they even talk about?"

Kage chuckled, expecting this question from the inquisitive prince, **"They sound like hisses and whispers, and they're always snitching on their hosts, but down here its like they're all shouting at me at the same time. It hurts my ears and head when I try to listen in. Which reminds me, I need to talk to you about something."**

Orum tilted his head and blinked at the girl's sudden change in demeanor as she started signing excitedly, and his eyes widened at what she told him. A wide grin spread across his face, "What are we going to do?" He could practically hear the smirk growing on the mute's face, and dreaded the mess he got himself into this time.

* * *

That night, they gathered at the dining table. Orin and Mera sat at the head of the table, Kaldur and Tula on Mera's right, and Orum, Kage, and Garth on Orin's left. "A gigantic echinoderm, frozen, yet still alive. Of course, at this point our data is quite limited, but Doctor Volko thinks the creature is very promising," Kage was pulled from Orum's explanation by her leader's voice whispering to Tula.

"I am considering rejoining you at the Conservatory," he said with a pointed look at her, causing Kage to stiffen.

 _If he stays here, then I have no choice but to lead the team… I don't want that kind of responsibility again, but I'll shoulder it until Robin is ready._ She was brought out of her musings by Garth whispering in her ear, "We planned on telling him tonight like you said, but I am uncertain how that will end now." The mute merely nodded in agreement. If Kaldur had already made plans to stay with Tula, then it'll crush him when he finds out about them.

"You realize you left your studies sometime ago. Your sorcery skills have not kept pace. You would no longer be in Tula's class, or Garth's," Mera reasoned. When Tula gave the queen a grateful look, Kage suddenly realized that everyone probably knew about Tula and Garth except for Kaldur. This didn't bode well for her friend, especially when he gave such a hopeful look to Tula.

"Perhaps I will require a tutor." Tula avoided his gaze and stuffed her mouth so she wouldn't have to answer the unspoken question. Kage glanced to the side to see Garth's hands balling into a fist and his jaw clenching. She subtly nudged his side, earning a violet-eyed glare from the taller male. When she looked back at Tula after Kaldur turned away, she saw a sad and ashamed frown on her face.

Pitying the girl, she waved at Queen Mera, gaining her attention. **"Don't you have a certain announcement to make?"** Her green eyes widened and she exchanged a dumbfounded glance with her husband before knowing smirks. Orin put his arm around his wife's waist as they stood up.

"We have an announcement," he prompted.

"I am with child," Mera said as they both put a hand on her currently flat stomach. Kaldur gave Kage an amazed look, before a grin broke out on his face when the news registered.

"Oh that is wonderful!" Tula exclaimed as she and Kage gave the older woman a big hug.

"Congratulations," Kaldur said as he shook his mentor's hand and put a hand on his shoulder, "finally an heir to the throne at last!" Kage glared at her friend for his lack of tact as Orum stood. Kaldur sensed this and tried to correct his mistake, "Apologies, Prince Orum, I did not mean –"

"No fear Kaldur, no one could be more thrilled at this news than I," Orum was unfazed by this as he clasped his brother's arms.

"Thank you brother," Orin said sincerely. "Thanks to you all." The married couple shared a kiss that made everyone look away, awkward and in respect of their moment before the pair looked at the mask girl who floated in front of them with her hands behind her back.

"Alright, Kage, you must tell me how you knew about the child," Mera insisted, putting her hands on Kage's shoulders.

" **There were two things that tipped me off,"** the mute said.

"Oh?" Orin said with a raised brow.

"What were they?" Garth asked, surprising everyone since he'd been nearly silent for the entire evening.

Kage counted them off, **"My first tip was the fact that your shadow was practically dancing in excitement. The second was the fact that there was an infantile shadow in your stomach."**

"How can you tell that a shadow is in my stomach if there is darkness inside of it?" Mera asked curiously.

Kage simply shrugged, **"Darkness and shadows feel different to me."**

Orin cleared his throat and gave Kage a pointed look, "Did we not have something planned for this occasion, little shadow?"

At that the mute huffed at the prince, **"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm already set."** With that, Kage formed a black orb in her hand and stretched it out so she could pull out violin, its skeleton design contradicting the celebration of new life.

"What is this brother, Kage?" Aquaman asked in hopes of figuring out what they had planned for them.

Orum cleared his throat, "Kage remembered your love of surface world music, so she thought it would be appropriate for us to play something in celebration of this wondrous event."

The mute tucked the instrument under her neck and slid the bow against the strings, making all in the room fall silent as they settled back into their seats. Orum mentally prepared himself to sing like they practiced.

His deep voice took to the upbeat song that the shorter ravenette had him memorize.

" _We're a thousand miles from comfort, we have traveled land and sea_

 _But as long as you are with me, there's no place I'd rather be_

 _I would wait forever, exalted in the scene_

 _As long as I am with you, my heart continues to beat"_

Orin and Mera looked at each other lovingly at the lyrics, smiling at the truth in them. Kaldur, Tula, and Garth were in shock at the rare sight of their prince singing a tribute to his brother and sister in law.

" _With every step we take, Kyoto to The Bay_

 _Strolling so casually_

 _We're different and the same, get you another name_

 _Switch up the batteries"_

Aquaman bowed playfully and held a hand out to his wife. She gave him a mischievous grin as she took it and the couple danced to the upbeat melody. They looked at each other like they were the only ones in the room, and the musical duo admired their relationship. They wished they had someone that could look at them like that, someone who would drop everything to take care of them and make sure that they were all right.

" _If you gave me a chance I would take it_

 _It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it_

 _Know with all of your heart, you can't shake me_

 _When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be_

 _N-n-no, no, no place I'd rather be_

 _N-n-no, no, no place I'd rather be_

 _N-n-no, no, no place I'd rather be_

Kaldur copied the king's gesture to Tula and she nervously took his hand. He pulled her out onto the floor, leaving behind a jealous Garth as they twirled around the king and queen.

" _We staked out on a mission to find our inner peace_

 _Make it everlasting so nothing's incomplete_

 _It's easy being with you, sacred simplicity_

 _As long as we're together, there's no place I'd rather be_

 _With every step we take, Kyoto to The Bay_

 _Strolling so casually_

 _We're different and the same, get you another name_

 _Switch up the batteries_

 _If you gave me a chance I would take it_

 _It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it_

 _Know with all of your heart, you can't shake me_

 _When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be_

 _N-n-no, no, no place I'd rather be_

 _N-n-no, no, no place I'd rather be_

 _N-n-no, no, no place I'd rather be_

 _When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be, yeah_

 _Beeeeeeeeee, hooooooo oh_

 _Be be be be be be be be be be_

 _Yeah-e-yeah-e-yeah-e-yeah-e-yeah, yeah, yeah_

 _If you gave me a chance I would take it_

 _It's a shot in the dark but I'll make it_

 _Know with all of your heart, you can't shake me_

 _When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be_

 _N-n-no, no, no place I'd rather be_

 _N-n-no, no, no place I'd rather be_

 _N-n-no, no, no place I'd rather be_

 _When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be"_

When the song ended Mera and Orin laughed as they clapped for Orum and Kage. Kaldur, Garth, and Tula clapped along in bemusement. Orin gave the pair a grateful look as Mera engulfed them in a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you so much for this. It has been a long time since we have danced like that," Orin grinned, putting a hand on his brother and Kage's shoulders.

Kage waved them off dismissively as Orum answered for them, "Think nothing of it brother. Even if we had only found out tonight, we still would have done the same for you." The mute nodded in agreement, nothing would have changed except when it would happen.

Orin kissed Mera's temple tenderly, and it touched Kage's heart, until someone had to ruin the moment. **"Superman to Aqualad: League emergency in Tokyo Bay rendezvous at the watch tower."**

Orin touched the symbol on his belt, "Acknowledged." He gave Mera a sad look as she looked down in disappointment, "It seems I must take my leave." Mera didn't answer, but simply turned away, not meeting his gaze. He quickly turned to Kaldur and told him to swim with him, leaving Kage and the others behind. Kage folded her arms and turned to Tula and Garth, who looked like guilty children.

When Kaldur returned, he asked Tula if he could talk to her in private. She exchanged looks with Garth, but agreed to go nonetheless. Kage knew that this was the reason he brought her, but she also knew that he had to do this on his own. All she could do was wait for Kaldur to make a decision, and accept it.

They waited in a slightly tense silence before the entire palace shook from explosion. Kage pushed Garth, Mera, and Orum out of the way of falling rubble as henchmen started to file in. They fought them off, and Kage tossed Orum one of the weapons that the intruders wielded and he nodded to her in gratitude as they continued to combat their enemies. Once they were taken care of, Mera and Kage swam ahead and were met with more adversaries as they left the palace with a security detail.

Their opponents opened fire on them, mainly aiming at Mera, but she used magic circles to shield herself and electric eels out of it. The security detail were taken down one by one before Orum swam out behind them and began to shoot the gunners down. As the infiltrators began to push the royals and shadow manipulator back, Mera shielded herself with her stingray construct and Orum ducked behind it while Kage molded the darkness of the ocean into a large sea serpent that rammed into the soldiers.

The henchmen were nearing the trio when a spell landed in front of them that exploded, immobilizing them. Mera, Orum, and Kage turned to see Kaldur and Tula working together to lighten the load. "This attack was precision planned," Kaldur reported. "The initial explosions lure out the patrols into ambush." He and Tula dodged and evaded their attackers before Tula brought down a set of pillars on the men pursuing her.

She swam past Mera and Kage, giving them the chance to send their constructs into the fray. Kage watched in awe as Kaldur brought what she originally thought to be a reef mountain down on his attackers. The men dodged this, but that gave Tula the perfect chance to pull them into a magic vortex that sucked them up and spat them out at other enemies. "Tula!" Garth called as he swam tried to get to her.

Tula looked back at him and her eyes widened in horror when she saw one of the intruders sneaking up on the ravenette. "Garth! Look out!" she shouted as she hurriedly swam for him. She pushed Garth away and took the hit for him.

"No!" Garths cried in anguish as he raced to catch her on her slow decent.

"Tula!" Kaldur called when he realized what happened. He and Garth huddled around Tula but failed to notice the men aiming guns at them. Lucky for them, Kage formed a shield around them as Mera activated her tattoos to summon a giant octopus that ripped through their enemies' lines of defense while simultaneously protecting herself and those around her from the retaliating shots.

Orum looked to Kage with concern, "Surface communications are down. I cannot reach King Orin. Summon more troops to defend the palace."

"The palace was not the only target. I witnessed explosions in sectors 1, 2, 3, and 5," Garth reported.

" **Nothing in sector 4?"** Kage signed to Aqualad and his eyes widened in realization.

"Explosions all over the city, except where the science center is located, where your giant sea star is secured," he added aiming the last part at Orum.

"Then it is a diversion, but with the King away, I must protect the Queen," Orum stated as he gave the blonde a grim look, "and the heir."

"I need no protection. Go!" Mera ordered, never taking her focus from her spell.

"No, Mera, if you'd suffer any injury, my brother would never forgive me," Orum reasoned as he gave her a stern look.

" **He's right Mera,"** Kage signed as she swam into the Queen's view. " **Leave this to us."**

The red head looked to her masked friend, and reluctantly nodded in agreement. "This is your fight," she acquiesced.

"And mine," Garth's voice made Kaldur and Kage pause as they began to swim off.

The blonde gave his friend a blank look and the bitterness in his voice concerned his mute friend, "Your place is with Tula." Orum covered Kage and Kaldur as they left the others behind. The pair swiftly took care of any who stood in their way.

They tried not to think about the limp floating bodies of the fallen guards as they made their way to the science center. Dread dropped heavily in their stomachs when an explosion rang from the highest floor of the building, where the echinoderm was kept. Kaldur floated behind Kage as she put in the pass code for the secret entrance, to which he wondered how she knew of it. Her head snapped around when she saw Kaldur's eel tattoos light up from the corner of her eyes and saw Garth. "You should be with Tula," he hissed.

"The Queen watches over Tula and sent me to you," Garth retorted firmly. Kaldur nodded grudgingly and followed Kage through the entrance. They entered into a meeting room and waited patiently for Kage to confirm that no one was outside or heading their way before going out into the hall. "Do you have a plan?" Garth whispered to his friend.

He looked back to find that Kaldur was missing before turning to where Kage once swam. He gasped when he heard a click and turned to his right where three of enemy guards were aiming their weapons at him. He thought that he was going to die, but he sighed in relief when Kaldur and Kage dropped down and flawlessly knocked them out. Garth's jaw dropped at the sight of the floating bodies. "I too have my studies," Kaldur sneered. Kage didn't take her eyes off the floating bodies, before turning to the Atlanteans. This didn't escape Kaldur's notice as he gave her a questioning look. "What are you thinking?"

" **I have an idea."**

* * *

They stole the men's clothes and posed as one of the goons, they were met with no opposition, and when they got the point where there was a hole in the ceiling. In order to avoid suspicion, they used the jetpacks to propel themselves through the water to one of the cables holding onto the sea star. They looked up in awe at the sight of Black Manta's ship trying to melt the glass roof. Kage stiffened when she felt the shadow of a sinister being move behind them. "Impressive is it not, Aqualad?" They immediately turned around in an attempt to shoot Manta down. However, he easily maneuvered around their blasts and shot one back in retaliation, hitting the guns in their hands.

They barely missed being hit by an exploding beam as their bodies drifted back, but Kage and Kaldur regained their bearings. Kaldur tossed away his helmet to better deflect the shots aimed at them while Kage's helmet seemed to melt into the water, leaving only her mask to cover face as she formed a pair of daggers in her hands. Kage noticed Manta aiming shooting an energy blast at Kaldur, so she made a tendril of darkness wrap around the ankle of one of the henchmen and pulled him in the line of fire as a human shield.

They glared at Manta and his men as he snarled at them, "Such a waste. Do you really have no ambition beyond serving Aquaman? Aren't schools of others willing to die for their king?" It sounded as if he were trying to convince them to join him, or at least trying to convince Kaldur. "Fish Fool for example," that jab was meant for Garth and they all knew it as the ravenette finally removed his cracked helmet. Kage managed to pull him out of the way with her tendrils before Manta's laser beams could reach him. She allowed them to float back behind a pillar with Aqualad.

Kage, slightly annoyed by the boy's recklessness, smacked him upside the head, earning a yelp from him. "Garth, get your head in the game," Kaldur barked at him. It was harsh, but Garth needed to realize that he could die in this fight. He can't afford to be reckless. Kaldur left them behind as Kage stayed with Garth to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. She saw Garth grit his teeth out the corner of her eye and watched as he brought his hands parallel to one another and began to turn them at his wrists.

"I summon the Power of the Tempest!" Kage watched in amazement at the sheer power gathering around him as an orb formed between his hands with wisps of bright blue energy emanating from it. He turned out from behind the pillar and let loose horizontal whirlpool that swallowed up Manta's men in its strong current. Kage saw the cable lowering down to hook onto the sea star's wires, and rushed to stop it. She was met with opposition but she waved her arms about to force her opponents out of the way with thick black tendrils.

While she did this Manta and his men were steadily pushing Kaldur back as they blasted at his shield and Garth began spitting out offensive spells left and right to cover him. Manta launched a pair of miniature torpedoes at them, creating a thick smoke screen. One of his men aimed for the cloud, but Manta caught sight of Kage hacking away at the cable and his men. "Forget them! Get the job done!"

Kaldur swam out of the dust cloud and lunged for Manta, but he swam up to dodge the blow. Manta sent an eye beam at Kaldur, to which he created a shield that allowed him to get close enough to take a swing at the villain. However, Manta kicked Kaldur over his back before aiming an eye beam at the Atlantean as he turned to attack. Manta missed, but kicked Kaldur away, giving him barely any time to dodge another beam as he formed a shield to protect himself. This distracted Kage, allowing one of Manta's henchmen to kick her away before securing the hook to the ice block. "Kage, the cable!"

Kage quickly recovered from the blow and formed a dagger in her hand. She narrowed her eyes behind the mask as she searched for the rip in the cable that she'd made. When she found it, she didn't hesitate to let the dagger loose, putting extra force behind it due to how the water slowed movement. The cable broke, dropping the sea star back into place, however, a piece of the ice broke, allowing one of the star's arms to break free. Her eye's widened when she saw the limb twitch with life, but she wasn't the only one to notice. "Manta made a brake for the limb, but Kaldur caught him by creating water whips that wrapped around his leg and torso, electrocuting him for good measure. Manta, however, broke free, knocking Kaldur into the wall behind him. "If I can't have it! No one can!" Manta roared. He turned, sending a mini-torpedo at the star. Kaldur and Garth's eyes widened in horror when they noticed that Kage was still near the star.

"Kage! No!" Kaldur called out reaching out for her even though he knew he'd never. Everything seemed to move in slow motion to him as the mute's hand twitched before she turned to face him, and her body froze in shock at the sight of the incoming projectile. That was the last thing he saw before the explosion engulfed the room.

When the explosion ended, the ice barrier that Garth had set up broke away, leaving the clear blue crystals to float past them. They watched as Manta's ship sped away. Kaldur ignored this in favor of searching for his comrade. "Kage!" he called out, searching frantically for the girl. A shifting pile of rubble caught his attention and he hurriedly swam over to it. He tossed the debris away and nearly wretched at what he found. Black wisps morbidly danced around the burnt body of the Atlantean's mute friend. Garth swam over to see what made his friend look so horrified and paled at what he saw.

The ravenette's body was covered in blisters colored black by the bloody burns surrounding them. Her clothes were nothing but ashes leaving the flaking black skin open to the traumatized duo's eyes. Kaldur vaguely found that her bones, which were also black, were showing in places around her body. She was curled up into the fetal position, making her seem even smaller. Kaldur bowed his head in respect for his fallen teammate. Garth put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder and bowed his head. Neither of them noticed the body of their fallen comrade twitching. Slowly Kage came into consciousness, heavily aware of burns and blisters plastering her body, and the ocean she was currently lying in only served to rub salt in the wounds, literally.

She glanced up to see Kaldur and Garth seemingly mourning her apparent "death." She snorted in indignation. It would take a lot more than an explosion to kill her. Her bleeding had stopped long before the pair found her, and the black wisps they had seen were the shadows of her body flowing out to repair the damage done to it. The burnt skin cracked and peeled away so the shadows could make her new skin. She shakily raised a fully healed hand and nudged Kaldur's head with her index finger. His eyes fluttered open to see Kage's masked face turned to him. His eyes widened when he saw that the arm of the hand poking his face had lost their blisters and burns and looked as if it didn't just handle an explosion. His eyes traveled over the girl's body to see watch as the charred skin fell away to reveal the soft, new tissue lying underneath, much like how a snake sheds its skin.

"Is everyone alright?" Orum called out as he swam into the room via the ceiling along with Mera and Tula, but abruptly halted at the state of his lab before looking down at the young heroes. His heart skittered to a stop before dropping down into the depths of his stomach when he did. He wasted no time to appear at the mute's side and took her hand in his as he carefully cradled her in his arms, tucking her head against his chest. He began to rub at her arms stomach and legs to get the charred skin to fall away so the healing process could speed up.

Kage struggled to sign out the next words, with her head hung in shame, **"I couldn't save it."**

Orum sighed as he looked around his lab at the scattered chunks of ice and starfish. "Do not worry about it, you should focus all your attention on healing." Mera put a hand on his shoulder as she smoothed Kage's hair back. Kaldur, Garth, and Tula watched in awe as the burnt flesh flaked away with the help of Orum and Mera. However, they shied away from any of the flesh that floated by them. Tula and Garth flinched whenever a chunk of flesh would brush past them, however Kaldur slowly neared the trio.

"How can I help, my Prince?" he asked as he knelt by them. By now Kage was at a point in her healing where you could see the pallor of her skin. Orum stood with the small girl in his arms before he started to swim for the palace infirmary.

Kaldur followed after them, his eyes never leaving the prince. Prince Orum gave him a small strained smile, "She will need clothes when she can move again." Kaldur caught the hint and left for his personal quarters to find something for his injured friend.

* * *

Once he one of his old shirts and a pair of pants, Kaldur entered the palace infirmary that was more like a small hospital than anything else. He walked up to the front desk, and the man sitting behind the desk gave him a tired look. "Can I help you?" he asked politely.

Kaldur cleared his throat and tried to sound as calm as possible, "I am visiting a patient."

The man sighed and began to type on his computer, "Name please."

Kaldur perked up at this, "Kage." The nurse gave him his friend's room number and sent him on his way. As he made his way through the halls, he noticed that there were many injured civilians and guards occupying the palace infirmary. He stomach dropped at the sight of some of the people around him. Some were burned in various places, others had cuts and bruises, and a few even had broken bones, but fortunately there have been no deaths. He soon arrived at room 138, and when he opened the door, he was extremely embarrassed by what he walked into. He saw the mute with her hand on the bathroom door and her back to him.

This wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for two things. The first problem was that she was stark naked due to her clothes being burnt off in the explosion, and the second was that her mask was off. Without thinking, Aqualad jumped for the mask and pushed it onto Kage's face despite her squirming and only relaxed once it was on. He released her and backed away and blushed when she turned to face him with her arms crossed over her chest. She wanted an explanation for his actions. "Why did you have your mask off?" he demanded in turn, puzzled by his friend's behavior. He never pegged her to be suicidal.

" **What are you talking about?"** Kage asked, he could tell that she didn't understand the importance of his concern with her facial wear.

"Your mask allows you to breath underwater does it not?" Aqualad asked pointedly, clenching his fists in frustration at his friend's disregard for her own life. He was further infuriated and slightly puzzled when her shoulders began to shake in silent laughter. "What is funny about your life?" he asked in a deathly calm manner, barely managing to keep himself from snapping at his friend.

" **I-I'm sorry! Its just that-"** she stopped signing as another fit of giggles ripped through her. Instead, she opted to for pulling her hair back enough for the Atlantean to see the black gills against her stark white skin. The look on his face when he saw them sent her into another fit of laughter. Kage wondered if he'd catch fish in his mouth if he stayed that way. **"The shadows in my body change it to better survive my environment,"** she explained, still trying to get a hold of her giggles.

Kaldur sighed in relief and slight exasperation as leaned against the wall in relief. He felt fabric brush past his face. His eyes fluttered open to find the clothes he'd originally brought for Kage floating around the hospital room. The Atlantean's eyes widened at this as he suddenly realized that Kage still didn't have any clothes on. He opened and closed his mouth like – ironically enough – a fish out of water before he rushed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. "My apologies!" he exclaimed. Kage tilted her head in confusion before grabbing the floating articles and putting them on.

She cracked the door open, looking up and down the hospital halls before she spotted Kaldur sitting on a bench with his head in his hands. Kage cautiously approached him. She put a hand on his shoulder in concern. He peeked through his fingers to see the masked mute. She pushed her mouth up so he could see her lips twitching down into her best concerned frown. **"Are you okay?"**

Kaldur looked up and was glad to see that the mute was fully clothed. _She looks good in my clothes._ He shook that thought away before giving his concerned friend a small reassuring smile. "I am fine. We should head back to the room so the doctor can give you permission to leave," he said as he led her back to her hospital room.

* * *

 **THAT'S IT FOR THIS CHAPTER EVERYONE! I'M HAVING SO MUCH FUN WITH KAGE'S CHARACTER AND GETTING HER TO INTERACT WITH ALL THE OTHERS. I'M STARTING TO NOTICE THAT SHE FAVORS THE MORE MATURE MEMBERS OF THE YOUNG JUSTICE CREW, I'M EVEN GETTING IDEAS OF BRINGING DAMIEN INTO THE MIX JUST BECAUSE I THINK THEY'D GET ALONG FAMOUSLY.**

 **NOW THAT THAT'S OUT OF THE WAY, LETS MOVE ON TO THANKING ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE.**

 **Darkheart126**

 **MisterShiryo**

 **shiki ryuusaki**

 **chyanne200**

 **supchild6414**

 **Shades-Soul**

 **cloudsomniakitty**

 **phoenixstar1901**

 **macromea**

 **tigergirl1723**

 **aniqa1234**

 **Lara annatia Mapella**

 **TwilightMelodic**

 **Gracen900**

 **AliceInWonderland55**

 **the silent pain**

 **Jaig Eyes**

 **PeinVPuppy**

 **TriskstersMask**

 **Azrael de Angelo**

 **Hiniko**

 **onix8080**

 **Miki P .B**

 **phoebus1991**

 **THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING ME AND MY STORY!**


	7. Chapter 7: New Discoveries

**Hello World! I'd like to say thank you all for following my story this far and getting to know my character. I find Kage to be a complicated character for me to right as. She's an enigma, she's mysterious, and she's a major troll, but she's also mature and caring towards her teammates. I'm working off her past and how she's trying to get over it. She doesn't want to forget because it means she'll forget who she is, but it does get easier for her to deal with as time goes on. Now that that's out of the way, its time for the reviews!**

 **PeinVPuppy: I'm glad you like the infirmary scene. Kage honestly doesn't understand the problem with people walking in on her naked. She grew up without the luxury of privacy, so she simply got used to it.**

 **chyanne200: Honestly Kage herself is still learning about her powers. She's unsure of their extent and their limitations, its more of a trial and error thing for her. Due to her powers being so abstract, I find more and more things that she could do within the reason of said powers.**

 **Darkheart126: Glad you love it! I'm trying as hard as I can!**

 **Echo0100: I'm glad you like the story. Also Kage can indeed die, although it is hard to kill her, at least now it is. If you rip off a limb, it'd simply fade into shadows and she'd grow another one. If you shoot her full of holes, her shadows would simply sew her shut and close the wounds. You're close when you say that her shadows would need to be destroyed but she controls all the shadows in the world, all the shadows and pieces of darkness, but her own shadow in particular is special and more connected to her. You'd have to either rip her soul out of her body and crush it, or push light into her body. Given the latter is nigh impossible due to the fact that no matter how much light there is, there is always a darkness or shadow in the light. I'm just realizing after creating her that killing her would be like killing Superman after you run out of kryptonite therefore if she went evil, the entire league would have to get in on the action. So far, I haven't thought of a way for Kage to legitimately die of unnatural causes.**

 **MissNightwing: Thank you for the compliment! I may hear it a lot from my reviewers but it never fails to make my day when someone has something positive to say about my stories. I honestly thought they would be shit.**

 **Guest: Thank you, and I hope you like it.**

 **TheAatheticRoseofCalamity: I'm glad you approve, and don't worry about Kage. I've a lot planned for her and made it so that her past ties into the current plot of Young Justice.**

 **Guest: I refuse to ever give up on a story!**

 **CasAteDeansPie: IT SHALL BE DONE! I can't help but feel that they would have this mutual respect for each other that would later translate into a friendship that would doom the world. BTW I love your name.**

 **ALSO I'M MAKING A GRAND FUCKING ANNOUNCEMENT.**

 **Have I got your attention? Good. I'm considering unmasking Kage in either, failsafe, the last episode of season 1, Haly's Circus, or the episode when they're in Quarac. I will take into account when you want to see it, but ultimately its up to me when I make the reveal. That is something that I haven't completely figured out yet.**

 **DISCLAIMER: YOUNG JUSICE DOESN'T BELONG TO ME! IF I DID WE'D ALL BE WATCHING SEASON 4 BY NOW.**

* * *

 **POSEIDONIS**

 **SEPTEMBER 28, 7:06 UTC-2**

Kaldur swam with Kage out of the hospital, and the blonde couldn't help but admit that they made a comical sight seeing how the mute was swimming in both his clothes, and the ocean. They didn't get far, because a tall blonde woman engulfed them both in her arms. Kage stiffened at the contact and barely held herself back from punching the woman in the ribs. However she managed when she saw that this didn't at all surprise her companion, if anything, he seemed slightly embarrassed. "Oh thank goodness you are well!" she exclaimed.

Kaldur's face grew red as he gave his mute friend an apologetic look. Kage didn't wait for the woman to release them to get out of the uncomfortable situation. She let the familiar emptiness take over her senses before she felt her essence drift away from the pair of Atlanteans until she was certain that she was comfortable distance away from the blonde woman. The mute tilted her head curiously, noticing that Kaldur seemed to recognize the woman. "Kaldur'ahm, who is your friend?" the woman asked, tilting her head in return.

"Mother, this is my friend Kage. She has decided to join me in my visit," he explained to the strange woman who smiled at the masked mute in greeting. Kaldur slowly approached the mute and put a hand on her shoulder, "Kage, this is my mother Sha'Lain'a." Kage looked to Kaldur before bowing to his mother in greeting.

Sha'lain'a laughed and waved her arms, pleading for her to raise her head. When the mute complied, she smiled at the shorter girl. "So you are the masked warrior that my Kaldur has been telling me about," the older blonde said with a knowing smile directed at her son. She had to admit that she could see the slight resemblance between the two what with Sha'Lain'a's long golden tresses, high cheekbones, light brown complexion, and the pattern of her gills. Kaldur looked just like his mother save for their eye colors. Where the younger blonde had pale bluish green eyes, his mother had pretty amber eyes that emanated motherly warmth.

Kaldur blushed and gave his mother a half-hearted glare, "Mother, please."

She waved her son off and grabbed Kage's arm, "Come my dear, we absolutely must get you out of those clothes and into something of your size. I'm surprised you are able to swim as well as you do."

All Kage could do was nod as the enthusiastic woman lead her to what the mute could understand was the shopping district of the Atlantean city. Even though she'd been to Atlantis more than once, she never had the desire to go on a shopping spree therefor making the district unimportant in comparison to the people and places she'd truly wanted to see. Sha'lain'a dragged Kage into every shop she could find until she had enough clothes to last her the entire year, and poor Kaldur was made to carry everything while translating every now and then. Whenever Kage offered to take some of the bags off his hands, he'd smile and tell her not to worry and go back to shopping with his mother.

Kaldur was happy to see his mother immediately take to the mute. To see the most important woman in his life get along so well with one of his newest friends. Even though he was stuck carrying his friend's clothes, he was happy to see her having such a great time after quite literally having the skin burned off her body and growing it back. He had to breathe a sigh of relief when they finally returned to the palace.

" **Thank you Ms. Sha'lain'a,"** Kage signed to the woman, and Kaldur readily provided a translation.

The blonde woman waved her off and gave her a wide smile, "Do not worry about it child. It was nice to meet one of my son's surface friends and from what I have seen, I would like to meet the rest of this team."

This made Kage's lips twitch up in delight. She would like to "speak" with Sha'lain'a more often. The mute never had a motherly figure in her life, and she found the older blonde's presence to be refreshing. Something about the woman put Kage almost immediately at ease and she could never bring herself to deny the woman anything when they shopped.

Kaldur watched his friend take to his mother and couldn't help but give her a small smile, unaware that he'd been staring at her. However when Kage turned to meet his gaze, he found himself hiding behind the pile of items that had accumulated in his hands during their shopping spree, as he felt his face heating up. This did not go unnoticed by Sha'lain'a and the woman chuckled at her son's bashfulness. Kaldur cleared his throat to calm himself before giving his mother an apologetic smile. "I am sorry mother, but it has been a long day for all of us. I hope we can talk more before we return to the surface world," he said as he ushered his smaller friend through the palace doors and gave all their purchases to some assistants who would bring them up to her room.

His mother gave him an understanding smile as she nodded to them, "I understand. Rest well, Kage, and take good care of my Kaldur'ahm." Said Atlantean felt his face heat up at the wink his mother sent his way when Kage wasn't looking. For the first time ever, Kaldur face palmed in sheer embarrassment at what his mother was insinuating. Kage, oblivious to what she meant, nodded back and waved as Sha'lain'a took her leave.

Kaldur removed his hand from his face when Kage tapped his shoulder, **"Your mom is really nice."** The blonde couldn't help but to agree with a slight smile.

"If it were not for her I would not have been a part of the team. She encouraged me to take my King's offer to go to the surface," he explained as he led her down the palace halls. Kage tilted her head curiously as she followed him, absently nodding to the occasional guard. The Atlantean gave her a wistful smile, "When she heard of what Garth and I did to save King Orin, she was immensely proud and even more so when I told her about the offer to go to the surface."

" **Were you nervous?"** Kage asked as she fiddled with the fabric of her new suit. The first thing that Sha'lain'a did on their outing was to get Kage some proper clothes. The mute was wearing a black two-piece swimsuit with blue lining that stopped a couple inches below her breasts. On the lower half of her body there were a pair of black shorts that stopped at the middle of her thighs and she had blue bandages around her feet and hands. The older blonde was also insistent that she wear this light blue fabric that would connect where the shoulders of her outfit were and a light blue wrap around her shorts for fashion's sake.

"Extremely so. I wanted to see the surface so much, but I did not want to leave behind the people I cared for," Kaldur explained with a solemn frown.

Kage noticed this and decided to change the subject, **"You never did tell me what your heart told you."**

The Atlantean gave her a confused look, "I do not understand what you mean."

Kage's shoulders quaked with laughter as she elaborated, **"Did you forget why we came already? It's only been two days!"**

If asked, Kaldur would be ashamed to admit that it took him longer than it should have to understand what his mute friend was talking about. However, at the moment of his realization, his heart ached intensely. His shoulders slumped as he sighed to himself, "Tula and Garth are together." Kage pat his shoulder, knowing full well that this was coming, but her friend needed to admit it to begin getting over it. "Perhaps it was never meant to be."

Kage knew that Kaldur was dangerously close to going into a bout of self-pity, so being the good friend that she is, she smacked him upside his head. **"Don't start that self-pity bullshit! You're tall, handsome, and a gentleman, you'll find someone in no time,"** with that she left him floating in the hall, lightly gripping his head as he stared after her in shock.

"You think I'm handsome?" he whispered to himself in astonishment.

When Kage finally reached her room, she sighed irritably and lifted her mask a little to brush her fingers over her stitched lips in sadness. _At least you have some chance at finding someone. I can never have that the way I am now._ She began to make shapes from the darkness and jokingly wove a story out of her shadow puppets. Not long after she finished the story, she ventured out her room to find Kaldur about to knock on it. She tilted her head in curiosity at what he could possibly need. Kaldur's face grew warm as he remembered what Kage had told him earlier, but shook it off, "Would you like to visit the reefs with me? I had originally planned on taking Tula, but you know how well that went. I also thought that this would be a good chance for you to relax after everything that's happened."

The mute was touched by her friend's thoughtfulness. She signed to him that she would go, earning a small, relieved smile from her friend. She followed him out of the palace and through the city, noticing the dwindling number of people as they went. She saw something in the distance that gradually got larger and clearer as they neared it. The number of fish increased and Kage marveled at how close the fish would swim near them, as if they knew that the pair weren't predators. If she were able to, the pale skinned shadow manipulator would have gasped in wonder at how beautiful the reefs were. Sure, there was a reef garden in the palace, but it couldn't compare to the sight before her. Her stomach flinched when she felt something hard brush under her. She looked down to see a leatherback turtle swimming slowly below her. Carefully as not to startle the creature, she brushed her hand along its shell. She could feel a smile pulling at her stitches as she swam under it and twisted herself around to swim on her back. The turtle must have noticed the disturbance in its space, because it looked down to see Kage's masked face.

She jokingly waved up at it and to her surprise, the leatherback's neck stretched out so its mouth could latch onto a strand of her hair. She was frozen in shock for a few seconds before her shoulders shook in laughter as she gently tugged the strand out of the reptile's mouth. She ran a finger over its head before she came to an abrupt stop when her head collided with something hard. She rubbed her throbbing head and turned to see what hit her only for them to widen in wonder. She had just run into a giant reef that came in colors she didn't even know existed and the pale moonlight filtering through the water only served to make it look ethereal as the colors glowed like a specter.

"Follow me," she heard Kaldur say from above her. She craned her neck to see him hovering above the reef with fish of all color, shape, and size swimming lazily around him. With one last glance at the turtle, she followed after her friend and was breathless as she followed after him. Everywhere she looked there were fish swimming through the various intricate passageways that was naturally created as the coral grew. She'd never seen something so full of life and was mesmerized by the sight. "I take it that this is your first time on a reef," Kaldur asked in slight amusement as he watched his stoic teammate get distracted by the reef's inhabitants.

" **This is amazing!"** he could practically see her lips trying to twitch into a smile and imagined eyes full of wonder.

He nodded in agreement and gave her a small smile, "Yes, it is, but that is not what I wanted to show you." She followed him to the far side of the reef where suddenly sped off, forcing Kage to try to keep up. She followed when he dove over the edge only to find that he disappeared. She could sense that he was nearby but couldn't find out where he was. She was able to sense that he was behind her in but her arm reflexively swung back. She heard him groan in pain and immediately turned around to see him hunched over and holding his nose.

" **Are you alright? I'm so sorry!"** her hands were nearly a blur to Kaldur as she profusely apologized.

He feebly tried to wave her off without looking up, "Do not apologize. I should not have snuck up on you." He groaned in pain as the salt water flowing in and around his body made his nostrils burn.

" **Let me see,"** she signed, not bothering to see if he saw her hands as she tilted his chin up some to see how bad it was. She was relieved to find that Kaldur's nose wasn't as broken as it could have been considering the fact that she held back at the last second as not to accidently kill him. If she didn't hold back, she would have pushed the cartilage back into his brain, instantly killing him, and she didn't want to have to explain that to Aquaman and Sha'lain'a.

Unbeknownst to Kage, Kaldur noticed how close she was and had to fight down a fierce blush. He'd never had a girl that close to him before and he'd be lying if he said that he didn't find Kage attractive. In fact, he thought she was a beautiful young woman who was stronger than he could ever hoped to be, which is why he made her his second in command. "H-how bad is it?" he asked hesitantly while mentally cursing himself for stuttering.

He made a point to stare at her hands as she signed, **"It's not too bad, I just have to push it back into place. Count to three and I'll push it back."**

Kaldur nodded and obeyed, "One – Argh!" A fresh gush of blood flowed out into the open water as Kaldur doubled over in pain. "Thanks for the warning," he groaned sarcastically.

" **You weren't expecting it so you weren't focused on the pain,"** the mute shrugged noncommittally before turning to the small opening in the reef that Kaldur had come from. **"Where does this lead to?"**

Kaldur made sure his nose had stopped bleeding before holding a hand out to his friend. "That is what I wanted to show you before you broke my nose," he teased.

Kage folded her arms and turned away from him. Kaldur was sure that her lips were pressed into a pout. **"I said I was sorry,"** she signed before turning her back on him completely, earning an amused chuckle from the blonde.

"And I forgave you, now will follow me so I can show you what I had originally intended?" Kaldur said as he took her hand and pulled her in after him. The plants of the reef were so tightly packed that barely any light filtered in. She barely see the light up ahead around Kaldur's bulky body. When they reached the light, Kage was met with what she thought was a lost wonder of the world. The entire reef seemed to grow around a set of beautiful crystals of various colors. They glowed in the moonlight that filtered through the cracks between the small spaces in the plant life. If she considered the reef beautiful, then the crystals were gorgeous. Kage's hands were limp at her sides as she took in the natural beauty that surrounded her. Kaldur drifted behind her as he watched her swim around the small room. He hesitantly swam up behind her, still wary of getting his nose broken again, "Do you like it?"

Kage turned to him and put her hands over her heart. **"Like it? I love it! How did you even find this place?"** she asked in astonishment.

A large, proud smile grew on Kaldur's face at having impressed his new friend. "I am glad that you love it. I found this place when Garth, Tula, and I were playing scavenger hunt. A cut on Garth's arm had opened up, attracting a great white shark, so we scattered and in an attempt to hide. I hid in the hole and followed the glow of the crystals to this cavern," he explained.

" **This is amazing. I've never seen anything like this before. Not even the Tower ever had anything like this,"** Kage signed as she swam around the room with Kaldur trailing after her. To her it seemed as if the crystals were alive, as the flickering moonlight made the glow fade and grow like a heartbeat. **"It's like they're alive."**

"The entire reef is alive, but these crystals are at its center…" Kaldur tailed off as he noticed something lying near one of the crystals. Kage didn't notice his absence as he neared a green crystal that had a giant clam resting next to it. "Kage," he called out, gaining the mute's attention. She swam to his side and followed Kaldur's gaze to the giant clam. It was half the size of Kaldur and was teal in color.

Kage wrapped her arms around the mollusk and lifted it up, bringing it to a better lit area so Kaldur could better see it. **"Let's open it,"** Kage suggested as she formed a knife in her hand. Kaldur nodded and held the lips of the mollusk while Kage slipped the knife between the lips. With their combined strength they were easily able to open the clam and found a beautiful white pearl the size of Kage's head. She picked up the valuable object and stared at it in wonder and Kaldur joined her, the clamshell long forgotten.

"It's huge," Kaldur said breathlessly. Kage held it out to her Atlantean friend, taking him by surprise. "Wha –" before he could question her, Kage shoved it in his hand.

" **You found it so its yours,"** Kage signed before swimming out of the crystal cavern so Kaldur wouldn't have time to protest. Kaldur easily caught up with Kage though she did put a good bit of distance between them before he did. He was careful not drop the pearl as he caught his mute friend before she reached the city limits of Poseidonis. Kaldur grabbed her hand and spun her around to face him. It took

Kaldur a few moments to catch his breath before he could finally look Kage in her eye holes. "I want you to have this," Kaldur said breathlessly.

Kage was truly puzzled by this. **"Why? You could easily sell the pearl for a lot of money, so why would you give it to me?"** she signed feverishly. She was confused and it didn't sit well with her. She honestly wanted to know why he would give such a valuable object to her.

"I want you to take it as a keepsake – something to remember this place by," he said honestly. Kage searched his pale green eyes for any meaning behind the gift, but when she found none she hesitantly took the smooth gem held it close to her chest.

" **Thank you,"** she signed quickly before turning and swimming away again. Kaldur chuckled at this, imagining a rosy blush on the mute's face as she turned away. He followed after her knowing that he saw a side of her that no one else had and he found himself hoping to see more of it.

* * *

 **Alright guys I originally intended for this to be the beginning of the next mission, but it somehow turned into a filler chapter with some fluff in it. I don't know how that happened but it did. So I'd like to say that the pearl will have some significance later in the story so make sure you remember it. Also, I'm still deciding on whether or not Kage will leave the team with Kaldur to go undercover, so that'll also be a deciding factor of the importance of the pearl and the cavern. I'm sorry it took so long and that the chapter was so short, I promise to do better. I'm just glad that I managed to finish this before my exams started. I swear to God that teachers try to kill their students through stress. Also, there might be extended periods of time when you don't hear from me, but that's because I'm working on a bunch of projects and the number only grows as my mental ADHD progresses. I can't keep my mind on one thing with out it trying to relate to another and form an entirely different idea.**

 **Moving on!**

 **Thank You To…**

 **Dark Red 101**

 **Echo0100**

 **Mystery's Abis**

 **MissNightwing**

 **Quaser**

 **Lena0613**

 **LostRebel**

 **field of grey**

 **grizzlybear2000**

 **Sboyle92**

 **icegoddez333**

 **Doomsdayvirus**

 **Dementra**

 **Regin**

 **TheApatheticRoseofCalamity**

 **Dayndra**

 **grim assassin sherlock101**

 **Artaddict15**

 **mayemerald9**

 **Haryp81**

 **Elsa – 18**

 **CasAteDeansPie**

 **Lin248**

 **Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, and faving my story. It really gives me renewed confidence in my writing ability.**

 **Until next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8: Forgotten

**Hello everyone! Just reporting in to say that I'm not dead. I somehow managed to finish and upload this on my birthday, so there's that. I've made 17 and I haven't managed to screw myself over! Let's see if I can make it to 18. My days till last fuck up count are running on two years now and I'm feeling lucky. SHIT! I think I may have jinxed myself. Pray for me!**

 **Anyways time to answer the reviews!**

 **TheApatheticRoseofCalamity: Thank you for the compliment.**

 **Quaser: I HAVE READ YOUR DEMAND, AND I SHALL CONSIDER IT!**

 **PinkSakuraFlower1: Listen to the vibe my child for it will be very rewarding in the end.**

 **Guest: I warned you! I fucking warned you about the feels!**

 **Guest: No one saw Kage's face except for Orum, Orin and Mera, who already know what she looks like. The founders of the League know what Kage looks like as well as Oliver and Roy, but ironically enough, despite Dina and Oliver being together, she has absolutely no idea what the stitch mouth looks like beyond her mask. As a matter of fact, Kage never felt comfortable enough to be around Canary without her hood on due to how horribly she took the mute's past. The blonde has yet to stop making digs at Kage for it. So far Kage has been patient with Canary but the thing is, the team's den mother has yet to push the right buttons to truly piss her off. Not even Klarion witnessed the full power of Kage's rage. Honestly, at this point, everyone who already knows what Kage looks like is waiting for her to show her face. Hell, Batman and Superman have a bet going on about when she'd do it.**

 **GraceHeart27: That was the idea.**

 **DISCLAIMER: YOUNG JUSTICE BELONGS CARTOONNETWORK AND DC. I HAVE NO REMOTE CHANCE OF EVER OWNING IT. I ONLY OWN MY OC KAGE AND ANY OC I MIGHT ADD IN FOR EITHER CONVENIENCE OR THE SAKE OF THE PLOT.**

* * *

 **POSEIDONIS**

 **SEPTEMBER 3, 21:08 UTC-2**

Kage, Kaldur, Tula, Garth, and Orum were standing before King Orin and Queen Mera in front of the palace Zeta transporter as they reported the happenings of their absence. "Our city was heavily damaged and many Atlanteans were injured, but it could have been worse," he said has he held a hand over his wife's stomach. Mera covered his hand with her own and gave him a soft reassuring smile. "I am grateful to you all."

Orum held out a case containing a piece of the starfish that he was studying, "This contains all that survived." Kage perked up at this, and immediately swam up to examine container. She didn't know that a piece of the echinoderm survived the explosion. Orum smiled and gently slid the case into the teen's hands so she may examine it, "It was found under the area in which we found you. It is already regenerating. The creature requires further research, but with the dome compromised and the Science Center in ruins we cannot safely secure or study it here in Atlantis…" he trailed off as he stared at Kage in thought. "Perhaps the surface world can do better."

"I'm sure they will be eager to try," Aqualad agreed before setting his sights on his student and friend. "Kaldur, Kage."

The two exchanged a look before stepping up to the older hero. Kaldur gave the man a respectful salute, "Call me Aqualad, my King." The older blonde's lips pulled up into a proud smile at his student's answer. He nodded to the pair before leaving them to say their goodbyes. While Tula and Garth talked to Kaldur, Orum pulled Kage aside to speak with her.

"Promise me that you will be careful. I cannot make you promise me that you will not be harmed, but I can at least ask you to take care of yourself and your friends. Also, I would like you to bring Red Arrow and Superboy here to meet me. I should at least meet my competition for best brother," he teased as he pulled the small girl into a hug. "I cannot even see that scared little girl that came here with Kent Nelson so long ago. I can only see this strong and beautiful young woman who I will not allow to date until she is well in her sixties."

Kage snorted in amusement at the prince's joke, already having heard the dating talk from Roy already. **"Please don't start, I already have Red threatening to shove arrows of various kinds up the ass of any guy who asks me out, I don't need an Atlantean Prince beheading them as well."**

The older man chuckled in amusement, "Actually I was thinking of publicly emasculating them and feeding their parts to the sharks, but that works as well."

Kage shook her head as Orum messed up her hair, **"The sad part is that I don't even think the king will stop you. He'd probably be right there with you carrying out the deed."**

"I have been meaning to ask you, what is in that bag on your shoulder?" true enough, hanging from Kage's shoulder was an Atlantean travel bag with something large weighing it down. The mute's lips twitched up from behind her mask as she opened it for her friend to see. Orum's face was priceless as he took in the sheer size of the pearl inside. "Where did even find a pearl that size?"

" **Kaldur and I found it in a giant clam while we were exploring the reefs,"** she answered proudly as she closed the bag and settled it over her shoulder.

The prince raised a perfectly plucked brow at the answer he received, "It appears that I have found my first victim. It is a pity that my brother would lose such a promising student." He hung his head in mock sadness and laughed when Kage smacked his arm.

"Kage!" Kaldur called. The mute gave her attention to her leader and saw the slight smile on his face. "It is time for us to go." She nodded before giving the prince one final hug and ran into transporter. "Have you ever wondered what would have happened if I stayed behind and you had become Aqualad?" she heard Kaldur ask Garth as the Zeta tubes hummed life.

"Never," Garth answered confidently with a small, knowing smile on his face.

"No, neither have I," Kage knew what the two friends did not say aloud.

 **No regrets.**

They walked through the tubes to find Batman standing in the mission room. "Made your decision." It was clear that the Dark Knight wasn't asking, but merely stating a fact.

"The decision is made," Aqualad answered firmly. "I am here, one hundred percent."

"Just in time for your next mission," Batman said as the rest of the team began to file in. The pair nodded as the older man began to explain, "The Watch Tower detected an immense power surge in Bialyan Desert. Spectral analysis revealed elements nonterestrial in origin. Find out what happened at that sight, what landed there. Bialya is a rogue state ruled by Queen Bee and not a member of the League's UN charter. All communications are subject to interception. Maintain radio silence at all times."

With that, they were dismissed. Kage quickly allowed her shadow to swallow up the bag containing her pearl and pulled caught her headphones and phone when they were spat out. "Err Kage," Superboy said hesitantly, not sure whether or not he should ask about the bag but decided against it as he opted for something else. "I don't think your current outfit is good for the desert."

The masked girl looked down at herself and found that she was still in the monokini she was wearing when she left Atlantis. "Though I have to say that it's a good look for you," Kid said with a wink, earning smack to the head via Artemis.

"Her eyes are up there Baywatch," the archer snapped.

While they argued, Kage snapped her fingers and her black rings swept over her body, leaving her in a black hoody vest, black booty shorts, her knee high converse boots, and her pitch black bandages made a comeback, however they were for mere decoration since she hadn't been able to find a strong enough sorcerer to place the restraining runes on them. She'd have done it herself given that she knew which book Kent used to make them, but unfortunately she didn't have the gift of being magically inclined so it was useless until she could find someone who was. **"Better?"** she signed curiously.

"Much," Kid Flash sighed dreamily as his eyes took in her every curve, making the mute uncomfortable and earning another smack from Artemis.

Superboy led the mute over to a large machine to speak privately. "We haven't heard from you in a while," he said offhandedly as he secured the straps that he would have to use to carry the contraption.

" **I was in Atlantis with Kaldur, sorry I didn't tell you guys anything, but I wanted to get him there before he could change his mind,"** she explained before looking down in guilt.

"Why did you have to go with him?" the clone asked with a raised brow in clear skepticism.

" **He needed moral support for a decision he needed to make, and I volunteered myself to go. Plus, it had been awhile since I visited,"** she shrugged as if it was of no importance.

"D'you…" he hesitated for a moment before gathering the courage to speak again, "D'you think you could tell me about it when the mission is over?" He couldn't meet the smaller girl's gaze as he tried to hide the embarrassed blush on her face.

" **Actually I was hoping we could have like a movie day. I heard you've never watched a movie before, so I thought you might want to,"** Kage offered, knowing what the younger teen was really requesting. _He wants to have bonding time._

The small smile on Superboy's face as he toted the machine to the bioship was all the answer Kage needed as she walked with him, deciding to indulge him with tales of her various trips to the aquatic city along with her misadventures. None of their fellow teammates could hear what they were talking about, but they were taking aback by the muffled laughter coming from the usually stoic clone as they boarded the ship. The trip to the desert was lively as everyone chatted about any and everything. Kage spent the entire trip explaining various subjects to him, and she found that despite his violent disposition, he didn't see the point of fighting because of little differences. He felt that all countries had something to learn from each other and should use that as something to bond over. When he looked at her with those curious eyes, she couldn't help but sigh at his naïveté. **"That may be true, but it's those same differences that cause wars. The leaders of some countries believe that if one country doesn't share the same values, then they are beneath them. Other disputes are over religion and how people try to forcefully convert others to their own belief, and of course there are disputes over power in general."**

"It still seems pretty stupid to me," he grumbled bluntly.

" **I never said it wasn't. I'm just said that those were the reasons, at least ones that I could think of,"** Kage chuckled.

The clone shook his head and ruffled the smaller girl's hair, "Shut up and let me listen to your music." The mute snickered as she dismissed her large headphones in favor her earphones. They all thought the mission would be simple.

They should have known better.

* * *

 **KAGE POV**

Did I get shot in the face again? I felt around my face and found that I still had my mask on, so there goes that theory. Where the hell am I? Why am I in the fucking desert?! I better not be in Bialya! The last thing I remember is kicking Roy's ass on Call of Duty, so when did I get here?

" _ **Mistress,"**_ I heard a familiar deep British accented voice echo in my mind as I looked down at my shadow to find its bright amber eyes staring up at me.

" _Oh, hey Shadow,"_ I greeted distractedly, _"you got any idea what the fuck is going on?"_

" _ **From what I remember you were sent here by the Fake Knight,"**_ he answered with a scoff. Batman? Since when did I take orders from him? I mean sure I respect him, but he knows that if he orders me to do something that I'll ignore those same orders on principle alone.

I shrugged as I began walking in a random direction, _"Any idea where we might be?"_

" _ **I do believe we are in Bialya,"**_ he answered politely. I groaned in displeasure. I swear to whatever deity is listening that if I run into Queen Bee's lackeys I'll let Shadow have his fun. _**"I pray that they show up soon,"**_ he chuckled in delight.

" _Shut up smartass,"_ I snorted as I continued to walk aimlessly. About an hour in, I felt a shadow gradually getting larger beneath my feet. Without much thought, I jumped back just as something landed where I once stood. When the dust cleared, I was able to see a large shirtless teen with black hair and blue eyes glaring at me. I tilted my head in confusion. Who the hell is this guy?

" _Didn't see that coming,"_ he seemed volatile, but there was something familiar about him.

" _ **No."**_

" _What?"_

" _ **I know what you are thinking My Lady and I do not think it is the wisest course of action."**_

" _Just trust me. You're my shadow so you should know that I can handle it, and you can't tell me you don't see the resemblance between him and Superman. I want to know what's going on."_

I could hear a deep sigh as Shadow reluctantly agreed, _**"I'm going to regret this."**_

I slowly approached the boy I have now dubbed Superboy and he clenched his fist with every step I made. When I was close enough, he seemed to get curious about me as he began to circle me. I stiffened when he sniffed me and sneezed before deciding that I was alright. I sighed in relief but nearly fell over when he picked me up and put me on his back. _"Well okay then, apparently he wants to keep me."_

" _ **For the record this is one of the most reckless ideas you have ever had!"**_ Shadow exclaimed as the feral teen promptly launched into the sky.

" _Please this doesn't even make the top fifty!"_ I retorted as my stomach dropped when gravity finally seemed to work on my new ride.

" _ **I find it disturbing that you're absolutely right,"**_ Shadow sighed in exasperation.

It didn't take long for me to get bored while piggy-backing, and it didn't help that all there was to see was sand, sand, and more sand, plus the occasional rock, so I decided to ask Shadow something that's been on my mind for a while. _"Hey Shadow,"_ I prompted.

" _ **Yes Mistress?"**_

" _You know how I'm from Louisiana?"_

" _ **I would hope so considering I've been watching over you since the day you started developing in your mother's womb,"**_ way to be a smartass.

" _Then why the fuck do you have a British accent? Ever since I've met you, all I've heard is Sebastian Michaelis in my ear but I can't say I hate it."_

" _ **Hmm… Now that you mention it, it doesn't make much sense,"**_ he admitted as I rested my chin on the feral teen's shoulder.

" _So why then? I mean I'm not complaining, but the shadows I've heard up until now had the same accent and speech pattern as their hosts. So why are we so different?"_ I mused as I heard the shadows of the desert his in warning.

" _ **Maybe it has something to do with your powers or maybe even your parents,"**_ Shadow suggested.

" _Maybe you're right. We don't know anything about them aside from the dream. We know even less of how my powers could have changed us and how they might develop,"_ I said solemnly.

I was hoping that he didn't hear the crack in my voice at the mention of my dream. No such luck, _**"Has there been any progress?"**_

I sighed tiredly, _"The dream changed."_

" _ **How so?"**_

" _This time, my dad reached into the crib and I saw something weird…"_ I trailed off in thought.

" _ **Weirder than a teenager with a talking shadow and powers that allows her to pretty much anything within her imagination?"**_ Shadow asked with a slightly offended scoff. I chose to ignore this.

" _My dad's skin was pitch black when he reached into the crib, but when he touch me his skin rippled into dark tan skin. I remember that his hands were calloused and thin but they were soft too. Do you think he had the same powers as me? If so how did he meet my mom?"_ _Do you think his shadow is like you?_ I wondered, tensing in surprise when Superboy reached back and pat my head comfortingly. I nodded my head in thanks as I forced myself to relax. He nodded back and returned to jumping around.

" _ **I hope so. I want to learn more about them just as much as you do, and banking on what little you can remember as an infant doesn't feel like the safest bet. Maybe Kent will know something about this,"**_ he suggested hopefully.

Soon, Superboy stopped at a rock structure that looked like it could withstand a sand storm if one occurred. He set me down and grabbed my hand as he sat against the rocky wall of the structure. He pulled me down into his folded legs before wrapping his arms around me and placing his chin on my head. I squirmed to get out of his hold, only for him tighten his hold on me. I didn't feel like phasing through his arms, knowing that I'd probably need the energy because, fucking duh, I'm in Bialya, so I relaxed against him and closed my eyes. I might as well get some rest. It isn't like Rei and Kai didn't do this when they had nightmares. It appears I'm everyone's personal teddy bear now. I drifted off to sleep and hoped to figure shit out in the morning.

* * *

 **3** **rd** **POV**

The next day, Kage was just waking up when Superboy stirred. As soon as he stretched out she took the chance to roll out of his arms and do her own. He put her on his back once more and began leaping in no particular direction. However, about an hour into their journey, Kage noticed her companion's ears twitching. She nearly fell off when he took off running towards a nearby canyon. When she felt his muscles tense, she tightened her grip around his neck and squeezed her legs tighter around his hips when leapt higher than she was used to and her stomach dropped when they fell farther than what she was used to, right into the canyon.

When the dust settled, she was met with who she remembered to be Kid Flash from what Roy told her about him, and a blonde girl in a green costume with an arrow on the front and a bow in her hand. She felt the hostility rolling off Superboy in waves, and decided to hop off before he accidently hurt her. Sure the stuff heals up pretty fast but it still hurts. She rolled away as he swatted Kid into the rock wall. She held him back when he tried to go for the blonde and he pushed her back a couple of inches, leaving tracks in the ground. He glared down at her but his gaze softened when tapped his face, as if bringing him out of his rage fit. She sighed in relief when he calmed down, but that calm couldn't last as a Superboy curled himself around his friend to guard her from an incoming missile.

It exploded around them, but both people remained unharmed for the most part. When Superboy released her, they were able to see three incoming tanks. Superboy launched himself at one while Kage rushed the other with her shadow on the ground curling around in excitement. When the blonde archer picked herself up, her jaw dropped when she watched the small masked girl. Kage gracefully leaped into the air and right on her heels was a behemoth of a beast that she couldn't identify. It was like a scorpion in appearance and stood at nearly four stories. It was balanced on bladelike legs and had, intimidatingly sharp teeth and mandibles.

Needless to say, the blonde was terrified. She watched in awed horror as the creature came crashing down onto the tank with its master standing on its head. The gunmen screamed in fear as they aimed their guns at her, and fired wildly at both teens. Kage grabbed one of the gunners and tossed him away as her shadow tore through the vehicle like paper. Her companion was shot at point blank range,, sending him flying before the feral teen lunged for the remaining tank and tore it apart.

Soon assault vehicles full of Bialyan soldiers, however Kage recognized one of the men in the vehicles and a pit of dread sank in her stomach soon followed by blinding rage. She cut the ropes that were wrapped around Superboy's wrists and tried to get him away before the hooded man could do something, however the man was faster. He raised his hand, _"Be still."_ The commanding voice had no sway over her mind, but Kage's body gave out as she collapsed next to Superboy, with the mental connection to her shadow cut off. She was completely aware as she was dragged into a truck along with Superboy, never taking her eyes off the man that shut her down.

The hooded man sat in front of Kage and gave her a smug grin. "It's been a while since we've last met little shadow and your mind has gotten stronger," the man said with what he probably thought was a charming grin. Kage snorted and turned her head away from him. She couldn't move her fingers, so it was the best she could do to substitute. She was pleased to find that she could still growl though. That grin grew smug, "Why all the hostility? Is that the way you treat an old friend?"

The entire ride was spent in silence as the hooded man attempted to catch Kage's eyes. When the truck stopped, the soldiers tied her up and dragged her through the dirt towards an ominous looking tent. They strapped her up to a metal table and the scientists occupying the tent began to talk as if she weren't there. They must have assumed that she was unconscious. She heard Superboy groaning as he stirred, but he too was strapped down. One of the scientists stood before her and started tapping on the keys of the panel near her feat.

"Let's test their pain tolerance," one scientist said with a sickening smile that was reciprocated by his peers.

This started the cycle of pain that Kage and Superboy seemed to be caught in. They would shock the pair with varying amounts of electricity and once they found out about Kage's regenerative powers they began to make cuts in her body and watch her regenerate. What Kage found odd, was that the large metal sphere that was held down my metal bars would react and spin rapidly in response to their treatment. They continued like this well into the night.

The hooded man leaned against the console controlling the charge running through the pair of heroes and smirked, "Fascinating."

They raised the charges and recorded how the sphere would react to the torture of others. Kage strained against her binds when Superboy screamed in pain. Her eyes widened when she realized that she was moving and a devilish smirk strained against her stitches as her body melted into a shadowy mist. The scientists watched in horror as their most dangerous test subject set herself free. She ignored them in favor of her traveling companion, who was barely conscious as he hung limply from his restraints.

With a single step, all the shadows of the tent began to writhe as they peeled away from surfaces they rested on, causing the people in the tent to flinch in fear. Her mask, which they had failed to remove, was showcasing a wide, predatory grin filled with sharp teeth. This nightmarish sight is what Miss Martian found when she entered the tent while camouflaged. She almost felt bad for her friend's tormentors

ALMOST.

She didn't miss the various cuts that littered Kage's clothes, no doubt the aftermath of whatever wounds she received and healed in her time there. The Martian watched in silence as the mute brutally and efficiently knocked out all who were in the tent before turning to face her and tilting her head curiously. "Well, someone's certainly a glutton for punishment," the familiar amused voice of the hooded man, Psimon purred. "Psimon says," he said aloud before removing his hood to reveal what seemed to be glass where the rest of his skull was, proudly showcasing his large brain. _"Forget."_

* * *

Kage was ready this time she put up all her defenses against mental assaults. _"Not this time, Simon,"_ Kage said as she glared heatedly at the crazy telepath, knowing that his attentions were split between the Martian's mind and breaking through the defenses of her own.

" _Come now little shadow, you should know by now that I know all of your tricks,"_ Psimon taunted as he sent a mental blast that shook her mind. She groaned in pain as the telepath found a weak spot in her defense and squeezed his way through. However, instead of the familiar world of the mind he loved to explore, he found nothing but blinding, deafening darkness. He saw nothing, heard nothing, and felt nothing. _"What is this?"_ he asked, unable and his eyes widened when he couldn't hear or see himself.

Kage, however, did not suffer from that problem, as she stood on seemingly nothing, above the telepath. _"And here I thought you would be smart enough to notice a trap,"_ she taunted, her voice echoing around the void, gradually pulling his attention from Miss Martian's mind to hers. Outside their minds, Miss Martian sighed in relief as Psimon's presence left her mind, but gasped when she saw shadows raise hell and various items fly around sporadically.

" _What trickery is this?"_ Psimon growled.

" _I thought you knew all my tricks?"_ she said mockingly. _"You may not be physically strong, but I can admit that your mind is. However, you rely on the brawn of your power more than your actual wits. Welcome to the outer layer of my mind."_ On cue, a large, horizontal eye opened in front of the psychic, causing him to stumble back as the bright red eye rolled in is invisible socket to stair at him. Following its lead, countless others of various colors, shapes, sizes, and type opened to glare at the unwelcomed intruder. She saw Psimon begin to back away in shock of what lurked in the very outskirts of the teen's mind. The psychic could hear something moving that he couldn't see, until he saw several large maws rip from the darkness to reveal rows upon rows of pearly white teeth as long as him and thick as a canon. _"You want to get to fuck up my head, you have to get through my chief of security,"_ she said as the beast let out an earth shattering roar. It took only a moment for Psimon to realize all the eyes around him belonged to a single entity that was simply curled around him.

" _W-what is that?!"_ Psimon yelped as he stumbled away in fear looking around in hopes of locating the owner of the mind he had intruded upon.

" _Pure, unadulterated, rage,"_ Kage chuckled in humorlessly before turning to the rage beast that was staring intently at her for its orders with one of its many eyes. _"Get him out."_ The creature gave a pleased growl before bearing down on the unprepared telepath.

Outside of their bodies, Superboy, with his memories returned, was standing with Miss Martian and the sphere in the eye of the psychic tornado that Kage and Psimon had started in their mental battle. They were beginning to debate going in to help her, when Psimon screamed in pain and horror, before getting swept up in his own storm as it completely destroyed the tent, sending telepath flying off into the distance.

However, the mute paid no mind to this as she made her way to the Martian and clone, and tilted her head in confusion. Miss Martian gave the confused mute a soft smile, "My name is Miss Martian, and I do believe you have some memories missing,"

Miss Martian began to explain how she would return Kage's memories, and the mute was hesitant, but in the end she agreed, and allowed the Martian to restore her memories. With them came the memory of Kent's death and the hard fact that she could never ask him for advice ever again. She wiped a single tear from her eye and nearly jumped out of her skin when the sphere came rolling up to them. Superboy and Kage knelt by it and began to rub their hands along the cool metal of its exterior. Superboy gave Kage a wide-eyed look of joy. "Can we keep it?" he asked, earning light chuckles from Kage and M'gann. However, Kage didn't miss the meaningful looks they sent each other when they thought she wasn't looking.

" **So are you two a thing now or…"** Kage trailed off when she caught the surprised looks of her friends. **"I'll take your shocked silence as a yes."**

"H-how did you know?" M'gann stuttered, her cheeks burning a bright red.

" **Was it supposed to be a secret?"** the mute asked in confusion. Their loving looks were so obvious that it made the ravenette cringe at the sweetness rolling off the new couple.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Superboy awkwardly cleared his throat, "We should probably be heading back to the bioship." The pair wrapped their arms around each other but looked back at Kage when they realized she wasn't standing with them.

"Aren't you coming?" Miss Martian asked curiously.

Kage waved her off and shook her head, **"I'll go my own way."** M'gann hesitated but nodded when she saw the knowing look that Superboy gave the mute and took off flying. The mute summoned her light cycle and revved her engine in challenge to the sentient sphere. The sphere rumbled in answer and, as if they were thinking the exact same thing, they took off into the desert.

" _Hey everybody! I've got Superboy and Kage, they're back to normal and we're on our way,"_ M'gann announced happily, startling the once unconscious Kaldur into consciousness.

" _Who are you and how did you get inside my head?!"_ he exclaimed, in slight panic.

Kage could practically hear the Martian lightly hit her head in admonishment, _"Hello Megan! Aqualad's memories! I knew I forgot something!"_

This seemed to remind Kid of something as well, _"Aw man! Me too, I didn't get a souvenir from the mission."_

" _Don't worry, we've got it covered,"_ Kage said as she used a nearby sand dune to fly over the sphere and gain a lead on it. She nearly toppled off her ride when a thought hit her full force, _"Aw shit! Red's going to be worried sick!"_

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **SEPTEMBER 5, 5:44 EDT**

Once they reached the Cave, everyone was exhausted. However, Kaldur, with newly restored memories, noticed a tense mute making her way to what he'd called her thinking ledge. He followed her and found her sitting close to the ledge with her knees pulled up to her chin and her midnight curls serving as a curtain around her small body. He stood there, uncertain of how to address her problem when he wasn't really sure what the problem was.

He was beginning to question whether or not he should have when he was given his answer in the form of a light push in the mute's direction. He turned around, but found nothing there, he decided not to question whatever force that was, thinking it was Kage letting him know that she was okay with him staying. He moved to sit next to her with his legs folded like she almost always did. He cleared his throat and tried to start the conversation, "Superboy told me that the telepath, Psimon, knew you."

Kage merely nodded without turning to look at her worried friend. "Do you wish to about it?" he asked hesitantly, not sure of how to go about this situation. This caught Kage's attention as she looked at him in shock. Sensing said shock, Kaldur scrambled for an explanation, "I-I just thought that s-since you have helped me and listened to my problems then I should do the same."

He heard her heave a deep sigh, **"You don't have to do that. It's my cross to bear."**

The Atlanatean gave her a reassuring smile and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing them a little so she would make eye contact with him, "I am your friend, and friends are there so you would not have to bear it on your own."

Kage stared at Kaldur in slight shock as his words echoed in her mind. She gave in with a tired sigh and turned to face her friend. **"I haven't always been a hero and I've done a lot of things I regret. I was once forced to run with a group of people who did pretty awful things. I refused to do anything they wanted me to, so they resorted to torture, and when that didn't work, they hired Psimon. For years on end, they used his powers to control me and made me do unforgiveable things,"** Kaldur rested a hand on Kage's shoulder as he watched her shaking hands lift her mask to swipe the tears from her eyes. He respectfully looked away as to spare her from revealing her entire face before she was ready to do it when she was completely calm. He rubbed her shoulder comfortingly as she continued her story, **"Through every task that I was forced to carry out, Psimon forced me to be conscious while he made me his personal puppet. It got so bad to the point that I couldn't even have my dreams to myself without Psimon barging his way into my mind. If I tried to put up a barrier, then he would just break it down and it continued like this until I managed to get away. Get away from him, those people, and the trainers."**

"Trainers?" Kaldur asked curiously.

Kage could only nod without looking at him, **"The group would pick up kids off the streets and steal them away from orphanages. They would try to condition us to be cold-blooded killers by our next birthday and they told us just as much. They wanted us to become mindless drones, without names, and without souls. I would mouth off to the trainers and they would in turn subject me to unbearable torture methods in an attempt to break me. I guess you can say that their training sank in to a certain degree. I became cold and merciless towards everyone so I wouldn't be attached to anyone when I made my great escape.**

She pulled out a gold locket from under her hoodie and stared down at it in sadness, **"Needless to say, I failed, I got attached and I paid for it. Now I'm here and I don't know whether or not being attached to you guys is good for me."**

The Atlantean was unsure how to comfort his friend, so he did the only thing that came to mind. Kage's eyes widened when she felt something warm pressed against her cheek and arms wrapped around her as a heartbeat thumped in her ear. It didn't take her long to realize that her leader was hugging her as heat flared up in her cheeks. "You do not need to carry this burden on your own. We are your friends, and as such, we will be there when you need us," he whispered gently. Kage was grateful that the blonde didn't mention her trembling or the growing moisture on his shirt.

* * *

 **ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! ALRIIIIIIGHT! We've once again ended another chapter with more information and hopefully more questions. As you all know by now, Kage has quite a past and Psimon plays a pretty significant role in it. I'm enjoying this story and I'm enjoying the relations that I'm creating. I'm looking forward to Failsafe because I'm revealing Kage's face for the first time. I'm also issuing a challenge to my fans on deviantart to try their hand at drawing Kage before and after her stitches when I post the chapter on Failsafe. In the chapter after that, I'll post my own pictures and you can compare your version to them. Moving on!**

 **HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! I'm officially a year older than I was before.**

 **Thanks to…**

 **HayabusaDragonForce**

 **PinkSakuraFlower1**

 **i-ship-it-97**

 **BlackDragonTalom**

 **Kaytak1000**

 **TotallyDemonic**

 **BellaLuz64**

 **Apocalypsebutterfly**

 **Sylanc**

 **WandererRaen**

 **RavenIsADarkBeauty**

 **YepNopeMaybe**

 **DarkKrystal**

 **Hamato Sakura**

 **thachan123**

 **CJWinters99**

 **Magi Zumurrd**

 **Julia N SnowMiko**

 **AnonymusLee**

 **Thanks a bunch for supporting this fic and giving me the courage to keep writing!**

 **I'll see you all next time! Also Read & Review, every author thrives on these things. **


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm happy to know that Chapter 8 went so well! Thank you for supporting me and my fic. So I'll get right to the reviews then do the disclaimer so we can get into Chapter 9. You can thank Rockabillie123 for giving me the idea.**

 **Julia N SnowMiko: I didn't intend it to be funny, but I'm glad you found humor in Kage's sarcasm. I'm glad to have made you happy and I hope I don't disappoint.**

 **Rosto'sGirl: Thanks for the compliment, but no the team doesn't know about her face. A good bit of League members know, Roy knows, and some of her long-time enemies know about her face, but other than that, the team is still ignorant to any features beyond her mouth.**

 **Rockabillie123: I like your suggestions. I'll see how they work in this chapter and work from there. I will do a filler chapter right now since there's still a day between Bereft and Targets. You shall get more Dick…Grayson! You gave me an idea for his smartassery. I'm glad that I'm being unique with a story that's already been done about a thousand times. Also it's okay, I don't have any self control either. You get yourself some sleep while I type up the next chapter. Also thanks for the B-day shout out and the compliment you awesome person.**

 **TrickstersMask: The shadow beasts will reoccur, but they're not really shadow beasts, more like repressed emotions.**

 **Nakomi: Thank's for following me! I'm glad that you find my story to be enjoyable.**

 **Guest: That's great coming from you and thanks for drawing Kage up for me. You pretty much have her down, I hope you're ready for all of my other ideas buddy.**

 **ItsJustMe-94: I'm glad you love my story so much because I'm honestly making this up as I go. It's the only way I know how to write a good story. You don't know how much your praise means to me. Also her outfits are basically regular clothes you can put together on your own. Let that thought sink in and have fun with that.**

 **DISCLAIMER: YOUNG JUSTICE DOESN'T BELONG TO ME. IF YOU DON'T KNOW BY NOW THEN I CAN'T FIX YOUR RETARDED THOUGHTS.**

* * *

 **ROY'S APARTMENT**

 **SEPTEMBER 6, 6:32EDT**

" _ **Time to wake up Mistress. You need to get ready for the green one's sleep over,"**_ the familiar British voice coaxed, but I ignored him in favor of snuggling further into my comfortable bed. _**"Mistress,"**_ Shadow said in a warning tone.

" _No Shadow. Let me sleep. It's way too early for this,"_ I groaned as I pulled the sheets over my head. However, I should have known better than to hide from my shadow in the darkness as burning amber eyes stared down at me through the covers. Cursing the existence of my companion, I gave up with a tired sigh. _"If I make breakfast, will you let me fucking sleep?"_

" _ **I suppose."**_

I pushed the giant scorpion head back into the dark place from whence it came as I rolled out of my bed and flopped down onto Shadow's head. Since the apartment is too small him to fully materialize, he simply pokes the top of his head and two legs out of the ground so he can still be physically present. Shadow carried me to the bathroom before gently setting me on my feet and leaving me to take care of my business. When I finished, Shadow carried me to the kitchen and watched as I began to cook breakfast. I tossed a few pieces of bacon into Shadow's mouth in thanks for his assistance and settle in the living room to watch some Saturday morning cartoons.

I could hear Roy stumbling out of his room. He probably woke up when he smelled the waffles and bacon on the stove. He sounded like a zombie when he entered the kitchen as he shuffled over to the food I left out for him. For once, I was the one functioning correctly. I slid him a cup of coffee as he settled into the recliner adjacent to the sofa as he ate quietly.

"How are you even functioning right now? You don't wake up before noon unless I wake you," he said suspicious glare. I shrugged and gestured to Shadow, who was eating his own food in the corner. "He can eat?" I gave him the look. You all know that look. It's same look people give you when you ask an extremely stupid question. Roy saw the look and tried to save himself from said look. "I just though… you know considering that he's a shadow…that…" he trailed off, finding no valid way to justify the question.

" **He's not a normal shadow,"** I signed. **"He needs food because he is more complicated than other shadows. He can either sleep or eat to replenish his energy."**

"So what? He's been freeloading up until now?" Roy asked humorously.

" **Pretty much. I mean there isn't really a reason for him do anything. If anything it'd be inconvenient on stealth missions,"** I answered, ignoring the indignant whine I received from the shadow.

" _ **I can be useful,"**_ he whined.

I rolled my eyes at the childish shadow, _"You're useful in situations where we have to wreck all the shit. Other than that, you're a dead give away in day missions. Even then, once you're out you're too big to move quietly so night missions are definitely out."_

" _ **I suppose you have a point,"**_ he reluctantly agreed.

" _Of course I do,"_ I huffed haughtily.

After breakfast, Roy and I spent the entire morning fighting crime. There were a couple of robberies, a brief jailbreak, and we took care of a drug cartel somewhere downtown. By the time we got back home, I had a couple of hours left before I had to leave for the sleepover. So, after showering and changing into my pajamas, I suggested that we play Mortal Kombat X. Of course, Roy picked the one character with a bow. I, on the other hand, picked Cassie Cage. Little did he know that I had already seen the X-rays and Fatalities on YouTube. I must say that Cassie was especially brutal, but only in the sense of men. **"Ready to get your ass kicked?"**

"Only if you can reach it," Roy retorted.

* * *

 **HOURS OF BUTTON MASHING AND ACCIDENTAL FINISHERS LATER.**

I smirked evilly when I had Roy thinking he was winning when I decided to use Cassie's X-ray. I couldn't hold my laughter as it played out.

"Wait, what is she –OH MY GOD YOU SICK WOMAN!" he shouted, holding his genitals as he watched Cassie punch Kung Jin's balls out of existence. I had to lie down as I trembled with silent laughter while Roy stared at me in horror. "What is _wrong_ with you?" he whispered in disgust.

" **Many things, one of them being the fact that I'm a sadistic bitch."**

"I _felt_ that!"

" **Oh come on! The first time we met, I kicked you in the dick multiple times,"** I waved dismissively.

Roy gave me a deadpanned stare, "I had to go to the hospital."

I shrugged with an amused twitch of my lips, **"So, the doctor said you'd still be able to have kids…maybe."**

"That's besides the – wait MAYBE?!" he shouted as he jumped to his feet.

Seeing as his bow was on the other side of the couch, I decided that this was an appropriate time to make my getaway. **"You see when we took you to the doctor she said –** _Shadow! To the TARDIS!"_ The shadow scorpion complied and pulled me into the ground before Roy could get his hands on me. We reappeared in the alleyway with the police box that I referred to as the TARDIS and I found that I was in my pajamas which consisted of my hoodie, a tank top, and pajama shorts and my mask, and Shadow was holding my sleeping bag, pillow, and toiletries. I had about five minutes before Roy found out where I was and I wasn't about to waste time on questioning the abilities of my shadow, so I took my things and ran into the TARDIS, teleporting into the cave right as Artemis entered through another tube. I checked the nearby panel and found that it was around the time that the sleepover was supposed to start. That is some convenient timing. I hurriedly locked Roy out of the cave and turned to greet the hostess for the evening

"You made it!" M'gann exclaimed as she pulled us into a bone crushing hug. Before we could have a repeat of what happened on my first day, I grabbed Artemis and turned misted us out of the Martian girl's arms.

The blonde wobbled as she tried to steady herself, "Whoa, that felt weird, but thanks." She gave a very sheepish M'gann an exasperated look. "You should probably work on that strength."

M'gann laughed nervously as she changed her usual clothes into pajamas. "I'm sorry, I still don't know my own strength."

" **You've improved. Your grip isn't as strong as it was when we first met,"** I signed reassuringly. She gave me a large grin before leading us to the living room.

"Superboy and Aqualad are sleeping over at Wally's during our festivities. We are free to do whatever we want, so um…what does one do at these sleepovers?" she asked sheepishly turned to face us with a nervous smile.

I looked to Artemis and she looked to me and we shrugged simultaneously. **"I don't know anything about that kind of thing. What about you?"**

"I don't have any girl friends besides you two. I just assumed that you guys knew what to do," Artemis answered, pointing a finger at me.

I sighed in exasperation as I tried to think of something. **"When in doubt go to Google."** At that we did. We used the cave's supercomputer to Google what we should do at a slumber party and this is what we found:

 **THINGS TO DO AT A SLEEPOVER**

1\. Make an indoor camp

2\. Take lots of pictures, cute ones, goofy ones, and super obnoxious ones!

3\. Make marker tattoos, they can be anything you want. Go crazy!

4\. Dance like no one's watching

5\. Play video games

6\. Watch funny YouTube videos

7\. Grab a couple of cans of whipped cream to snack on.

8\. Talk in accents. Multiple ones and switch off every here and there

9\. Make some s'mores

10\. Make sweets

11\. Girl Talk

12\. Truth or dare

13\. Make your friend look like a celeb!

14\. Do each other's hair

15\. Have a sing off

16\. Turn all the lights off and watch a scary movie.

17\. Eat a lot of ice cream.

We looked at each other and shrugged. We don't have any better ideas. "So what do you guys want to do first?"

"We can make the indoor camp, but how do you do that?" M'gann mused.

I waved her off as I went into the dining room and grabbed a couple of chairs. I went into various rooms and grabbed some comforters. I'm sure no one will mind if we borrowed them. I set the chairs up two in a row while facing away from each other, and then I tossed the comforters over them. I repeated the process twice more for M'gann and Artemis and gestured with my arms as if to say "Tada!"

"Huh, so that's how it works. Wait, how do you know how to do that?" Artemis asked with a smirk slowly sliding its way onto her smug face. My lips twitched in a wistful smile as I remembered Kent making it for me before giving me some books and a flashlight. I didn't leave that tent for an entire week. Kent had to bribe me with cheesecake to get me out.

Probably sensing the sadness that accompanied the memories, M'gann changed the subject. "What do you guys want to do next?"

This time Artemis made a suggestion, "We could combine some suggestions by braiding hair, making marker tattoos, and doing accents at the same time."

" **I like the way you think."**

Soon we found ourselves in M'gann's tent where the owner of was enthusiastically braiding my hair while I drew tribal tattoos on Artemis using some glow in the dark markers that I had Shadow bring from the apartment and Artemis asked us questions in random accents. M'gann would try to answer in another accent but it always came to back to a British accent with her. Apparently they thought that the hair that they saw while I had my hoodie on was all of it, but their faces when I took it off was priceless. All of my hair tumbled out from under the piece of clothing and into M'gann's lap.

"Don't you get hot with all that hair stuffed in that hoodie?" Artemis asked in an Indian accent.

I shook my head lightly, not wanting to interrupt M'gann's fun. The only reason I tuck my hair is because I don't want it to get pulled in a fight, that and I don't want to have to worry about it getting in my face when the wind is blowing. The easy solution would be to cut it, but everyone who has tried has been sufficiently stabbed with their own scissors, well everyone except Kent. I could never bring myself to hurt the old man, so instead I threaten to hide his cane in a section of the Tower that even he couldn't enter. The funny thing is that he doesn't really need it, and as a matter of fact it was originally something I bought for his birthday as a joke on his age. He just kind of kept it after I gave it to him. Never thought I'd bury him with it. Okay! Things are getting way too sad for me! Time to change the subject! Hey look! I finished Artemis's tattoos! She looked herself over and gave me an impressed nod. "If you ever quit the hero business, you should definitely open up a tattoo parlor. Now turn around, you're next lassie," now she was doing a very poor Scottish accent.

I didn't even notice M'gann was finished until Artemis said this, so I obeyed. I wasn't sure where what to do with M'gann's shoulder length hair, since there wasn't much to braid. She fixed the problem by growing her hair out in the span of seconds, and she gave it streaks that glow and change colors. I took the top half of her hair and weaved it into three thick braids that wrapped around her head and trailed down her back over the bottom half that I left hanging. I had finished in time for Artemis to start on my hands, and while she did that, M'gann moved behind her to start braiding her hair. When we finished, I can say with complete certainty that we looked awesome.

Artemis's hair was in a stylishly messy fishtail braid and we were able to draw on each other's faces. We carefully inspected each other and found our handiwork to be satisfactory. I nodded at them in appreciation for their work. **"Who's hungry?"**

Ten minutes later and we found ourselves stuffing our faces with various unhealthy sweets. "So I've been wondering…" M'gann trailed off as we gave her our attention. She looked at me with curious furrowed brows. "What's going on between you and Kaldur?"

I tilted my head in confusion and I felt my lips twitching into a confused frown, **"I don't understand."**

"I think M'gann wants to know if you and Kaldur are dating," Artemis explained.

It took me a moment to process the question before I shook my head as a no. Kaldur is attractive sure, but we're only friends. "Then why did you go with him to Atlantis?" M'gann inquired.

I sighed, knowing that this question would eventually come up. **"Its not like that. I went with him because he didn't know whether or not he belonged on the surface."**

Artemis snorted dubiously, "How did that work out for you guys?" That is how I ended up telling them how Kaldur got his heart broken by his best friend and how I got blown up again. However, there was only one thing that Artemis got out of this entire story. "Did he see your face?" she asked eagerly. I gave a dry chuckle and shook my head, nearly falling out of my chair when she dropped her face onto the kitchen counter. "Are you kidding me!? Everything got burned off, how did he not see your face?"

I composed myself enough to sign, **"My hair covered my face."** She groaned in exasperation and went back to her brownie sundae.

"If _everything_ was burned off, then does that mean that he saw your…Parts?" M'gann asked hesitantly.

I shook my head, **"Orum and Mera took me away before he could see anything."** I conveniently left out the part where I had to wear his old clothes and went shopping with his mother.

Artemis barked out a harsh laugh, "No doubt Red would've killed him if he did." I can't say she was wrong; Roy is really protective of me. He wanted to kick my ass when he found out that I could survive explosions, but he settled on breaking the leg of the person who caused the explosion. "Does it hurt when you get caught in an explosion?" Artemis asked as an afterthought.

"Artemis!" M'gann admonished, giving her a stern glare. I put a calming hand on her shoulder, stopping her impending lecture in its tracks. I didn't really mind the question. Its happened to me enough to where it doesn't bother me if someone asks any more.

" **You know it's not as painful as people think it is. Your nerves are too burnt to register pain by the time you realize you've been caught in an explosion. You should really look out for the debris though. A regular person can survive the burns but anything and everything sent flying by the blast can qualify as a bullet. If it hits you somewhere important, then you're screwed,"** I explained as best as I could. M'gann looked disturbed, but Artemis seemed genuinely intrigued by the concept.

"Let's find something else on the list," M'gann suggested, obviously trying to change the subject.

* * *

 **KALDUR POV**

"I do not think that this is a good idea," I said, trying to get out of Wally's plan to… what is the surface term?…Crash the party? I tried to keep him from disturbing the girls, but my friends ignored my pleas. We picked up Robin along the way to the Zeta transporter, and he was happy to partake in Wally's plan.

"Relax, it's not like we're going on a panty raid. We're just going to scare 'em. I bet they're doing each other's hair and talking about guys they like. Maybe Megalicious is talking about me," Wally sighed with a wistful smile.

I heard Superboy scoff, "I wouldn't bet on it." I do not think I was meant to hear that, but I am not all that surprised. Kage and I had bet on when they were going to confess their feelings. It seems that I owe her fifty dollars. I could only sigh and follow along to make sure that they did not get in too much trouble with the girls. After Robin hacked the Zeta system to allow us into the cave, we stepped in and didn't get any further than the entrance.

"I ain't worried doing me tonight  
A little sweat ain't never hurt nobody  
While you all standin' on the wall  
I'm the one tonight  
Getting bodied, getting bodied, getting bodied, getting bodied getting bodied  
Want my body  
Won't you get me bodied  
You want my body  
Won't you get me bodied (hey!)"

The cave's lights were off and we were met with the sight of Artemis, M'gann, and Kage wearing pajamas that mainly consisted of tank tops and impossibly small shorts, intricate braids in their hair, and what seemed to be glowing tattoos, and – stop me if this sounds a little insane – I swear to Poseiden that M'gann's hair was changing colors. Surprisingly Kage's mask rested on the side of her head, allowing us to see the skull design on her cheeks and lips. However, that sight alone was not what stopped us. That was reserved for the very…ehem… _provocative_ dancing that they were doing. It seemed to involve a lot of hip swaying and gyrating.

"Ladies on the floor,

All my ladies on the floor

If you ready get it ready lets get it and drop it.  
Drop down low and sweep the floor wit it

Drop drop down low and sweep the floor wit it,

Drop down low and sweep the floor wit it drop

Drop down low and sweep the floor wit it."

I had no idea what those lyrics meant until I saw Kage put her hands on her knees abruptly dropped while swaying her hips. I did not know if Artemis and M'gann were doing the same, though I was vaguely aware of their catcalls. My eyes were only set on one thing and I am ashamed to admit that I did not want to look away. The glowing markings on her body were hypnotizing, as they seemed to come alive with her movements.

"Do the uh oh do the uh oh do the uh oh uh oh uh oh oh no no,

Uh oh do the uh oh do the uh oh uh oh uh oh oh no no."

Now her hands were clasped together above her head as she jerked her hips from left to righ0 robotically. Poseiden help me because I do not think I am breathing. A brief glance at the others told me that I was not alone. Wally and Robin were shamelessly staring where as Superboy was trying and failing to look away. Roy, however, seemed to be in shock. My attention returned to Kage as she started moving her arms back and forth as she turned while still doing the hypnotizing motion in a great show of skill.

"Pat your weaves ladies pat pat pat your weaves ladies

Watch it while he check up on it,

Pat your weaves ladies pat pat pat your weaves ladies

Watch it while he check up on it."

We were given a moment of reprieve as they started patting they followed the song's instructions and started patting, or in Kage's case shaking their hair. However it did not last.

Tick tick tick tick fight,

now tick tick tick tick fight,  
now tick tick tick tick tick tick fight.  
Now tick tick tick tick tick tick fight,"

My breath was once again swept away as she put her hands on her hips and jerkily moved them in a circle before sending out a seemingly playful jab.

"Now pose for the camera now flick flick flick,

pose for the camera now flick flick flick,

pose for the camera now flick flick flick,

pose for the camera now flick flick flick."

Sure enough, Kage produced various possibly unintentionally provocative poses. She, Artemis, and M'gann eagerly lined up for the next part of the song. I find that Kage constantly challenges my self-control as a man, and now was no different. I was still fighting a loosing battle.

"Do an old school dance an old school dance an old school dance do an old school,  
Do an old school dance an old school dance an old school dance get old school."

In perfect unison, they would hop toward and away from each other, bumping hips as they went. Kage stood in the middle, and went a mile further by hopping completely around and bumping either Artemis or M'gann on the hips. Then they abruptly froze with their hands close their faces and began to fan themselves.

"Stop now cool off cool off, cool off cool off,  
Drop and cool off cool off cool off cool off."

I could hear M'gann and Artemis cheering as Kage dropped down again and took care to slowly come up with her rear sticking out while fanning herself. Then she proceed to roll her body while gradually bending her back backwards.

"Go Kage!" Artemis cheered.

"Wind it back girl, wind it back girl make your hair touch the floor wine it back,  
Wind it back girl, wind it back girl make your hair touch the floor wine it back.

My eyes flicked downward to find that her hair did indeed brush the cave floors. I was curious as to how far back she could go, but the lyrics so changed as they all dropped again, but this time when the bounced up, they went back down onto their knees and moved into the single most sexual dance move I have ever seen in my life.

"Drop to your knees arch your back girl shake shake it like that alley cat,  
Drop drop to your knees arch your back girl shake shake it like that alley cat."

Without loosing any of her timing Kage leaped back onto her feet and bent over while shaking her rear again. This song seems to have a lot of that, but I cannot find a reason to complain about it as of yet. I think this song is stealing my capability to form a coherent thought, but then again, I was coherent enough to correctly spell the word coherent while thinking about I, so I cannot be that bad off.

"Shake ya derriere in them Dereon's  
Shake shake ya diary air in the House of Dereon  
Shake ya derriere in them Dereon's  
Shake shake ya diary air in the House of Dereon"

She continued to bounce to the beat and crossed her legs before picking one up behind the other to tap with her hand, and bringing it forward to tap again.

"Do the scissor leg, touch ya heels touch ya toes  
Do the scissor leg, touch ya heels touch ya toes  
Do the scissor leg, touch ya heels touch ya toes  
Do the scissor leg, touch ya heels touch ya toes"

Their giggles echoed through the cave as they began to fiercely strut away from us. I think I speak for all of us – when I say that we leaned in to get a better look…At the dance moves of course! …I do not believe that statement anymore than you do.

"Do the Naomi Campbell walk, Naomi Campbell walk  
Walk across the room like Naomi Campbell  
Do the Naomi Campbell walk, Naomi Campbell walk  
Walk across the room like Naomi Campbell"

Right when we were contemplating whether or not to walk in to get a better look and risk getting caught, they stopped and started making elaborate hand motions while snapping in time with the music.

"Snap for the kids, snap for the kids  
Snap in a circle three times  
Snap for the kids, snap for the kids  
Snap in a circle three times"

Now they seemed to be free styling and I learned a lesson on the various ways a girl could shake her rear. I thought coming to the surface was the best thing ever when the offer was given to me, and I have yet to retract that statement. On the contrary, the surface world seems to be giving me more reasons to stay the longer I am here.

"I touch ya body, while ya touch my body  
We touching bodies tonight  
We getting bodied  
I touch ya body, while ya touch my body  
We touching bodies tonight"

Without any further instructions from the music, the girls continued to dance, sometimes on each other, and struck a final pose when the song ended. They held it for a few seconds before falling out into peals of laughter. "Holy shit," Robin said breathlessly. I was slightly worried that the girls would get whiplash with how fast they turned to stare at us. Their faces were slack in shock before contorting into anger.

I raised my hands in defense and immediately tried to get out of the impending danger, "In my defense, I told them that this was a bad idea and tried to stop them."

"Dude!" Wally shouted.

I gave him a deadpanned stare, "What did you think was going to happen? They would have surely found out that we were watching. Also, I do not want to be subject punishment that they are about to deliver." I glanced over to the girls to see them nodding at each other. M'gann's eyes glowed as she raised her hands and Kage snapped her fingers. Roy noticed this and attempted to run, but only succeeded in being captured faster as streams of darkness shot out of the ground behind him and tied him up. The same happened for Robin and I as M'gann lifted Superboy and Wally before they could even flinch. I gulped nervously when they moved to stand in front of us with narrowed eyes.

M'gann and Artemis looked at Kage with devilish smirks. "What should we do with them?" Artemis asked. Kage looked around and pointed at herself as if to ask if she was the one being addressed. "Yes you. You're the most creative out of the three of us." Kage put a hand to her chin in thought and I felt a rising sensation of dread as I saw her lips twitch up in a very unnerving smirk. I do not think we will be getting out of this with our dignity in tact.

* * *

"Do we really have to do this?" Roy groaned. We were shuffling our feet and avoiding eye contact with each other. His answer was a rhythmic knocking on the door. His shoulders slumped in defeat before he turned to us. "All right guys, let's get this over with," he opened the door and we filed out into the cave. We found the girls loading paintball guns, and when they saw us, they gave us matching smirks.

Kage looked directly at me as she signed, **"Nice."**

I felt my cheeks heat up and avoided her gaze as I prayed that my little problem did not rear it's ugly head. They were holding us at gunpoint. I never knew how breezy the cave was until now. "Did we really need to strip all the way down to undergarments?" I asked, hoping to earn some form of mercy.

They glanced at each other and nodded in unison. "Line up guys," M'gann ordered. We groaned and lined up against the walls with our hands behind our heads and prayed that we did not get hit below the belt.

"I'm gonna enjoy this," Artemis said as she aimed her gun at Wally, who glanced around nervously for help. It did not help that there was a camera recording the entire thing. "Any last words?"

We all looked at Wally, our leader for this suicide mission. He glared defiantly at the blonde, "I regret nothing."

Kage raised her hand and counted down from five. Artemis and M'gann waited for the stitch mouth to give the first shot, probably seeing what were the boundaries. Kage did just that as she targeted her first victim…Roy. I knew that nothing could save us when I saw Roy dropped to the ground while holding himself. My Poseidon have mercy on our souls. Our screams echoed through the cave along with the sound of the paintball fire.

They made us walk home nearly nude and covered in paintball splatters. Superboy had to carry Roy and Wally home, and we could not use the Zeta transporters to get any closer than they would send us. We resumed to take what I believe is called the walk of shame as we trudged back to Wally's house. I do not know about the others, but I think it was worth it.

* * *

 **Hey everybody! It's been a couple of months since I updated this story and I'm so sorry! I've been focusing so much on school that I had to put this story on the backburner. Also I was suffering from writer's block, but thanks to a certain Guest reviewer, I'm back with more ideas than ever! Now on to the thank you section!**

 **Thank you to…**

 **Brooke Vengeance**

 **Rightful Queen of the Dorks**

 **Black konako**

 **LioPyro7890**

 **brave-story**

 **Teyranas**

 **leonight**

 **MoonlightWolf16**

 **Ulyss**

 **ChevyImpalaCryWolf**

 **Nakomi**

 **modern**

 **Caeci**

 **OtakuLover411**

 **Coralinic2019**

 **emoBUTshy**

 **ThiefWicker**

 **Dreamingmydaysaway**

 **2**

 **ItsJustMe-94**

 **jvspoke**

 **Thank you all for your support and I hope I don't disappoint. Until next chapter everybody!**


	10. Chapter 10: Little Shit Tendencies

**Hello viewers and welcome to Chapter 10 of my story Battle Scars. I must say that I didn't expect my story to be liked enough for 10 chapters but I'm glad it is. Your reviews help me become better at writing and I appreciate your honest opinions. Don't be afraid to make a suggestion because I would be happy to listen to them. On to the reviews!**

 **Guest: I'm glad you loved the chapter but remember to breath when you laugh. I don't want to be responsible for someone dying.**

 **TheApatheticRoseofCalamity: Thank you for the compliment! I'm happy that I was able to amuse you, and Shadow will make more appearances, but like Kage said, he won't be very practical for covert missions, he's more useful for wrecking shit.**

 **Julia N SnowMiko: Bibidy Bobidy Boo! *** **turns you back into a person** *** Also good news! I'm not going to sink your ship!**

 **Rockabillie123: Survive the night my friend also, how could I not take your suggestions to heart? They were damn good suggestions. Also you do deserve some credit for pitching the idea in the first place! Stop and breathe! I want one of my favorite reviewers to live until the end of my story. My mind in the gutter? How dare you good sir! If you must know, my mind is somewhere in the dirtiest of sewers.**

 **Guest: I understand that her hair would get in the way and addressed it. I mentioned that her hair is in her hoodie all of the time because of the fact that her impractically long her would get in the way during fights. Kage knows the cons of hair at such a length but grew it like that anyway. I won't delve into those reasons for that as it ties into another plot point later on. However, as much as I don't like the words you used, I DO appreciate your brutal honesty. You told me exactly what you thought about that part of Kage character design and didn't spare my feelings. I feel like that will make me a better writer for any of my other fics. I would also like it if you took the time to see how I would remedy such a character flaw and if I don't** _ **then**_ **I feel like the harsh words are warranted.**

 **Boomer1125: Ask and you shall receive.**

 **shika93: I'm glad that you're liking my story so far.**

 **pyrojack25: I don't think I did mention Shadow's eyes, thank you for pointing that out. Kage's life is not for the feint of heart. I think Damien will have a little crush on Kage in the beginning before he settles for little brotherhood. Also, it is possible for Kage's stitches to be removed, but either Wotan has to remove them (which is highly unlikely), a counter curse is found, or she gets strong enough to remove them at the risk of her life.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE OR ITS CHARACTERS. I ONLY OWN KAGE. ALSO GOOD NEWS! A FRIEND OF MINE DREW UP SOME SKETCHES OF KAGE AND THEY'RE GREAT!**

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **SEPTEMBER 8, 2:55 EDT**

Superboy woke with a terrified gasp. He brought a hand to his chest to feel it trying to jump out. Without thinking, he tossed the covers off him and made his way out of his room. He found himself knocking on a familiar door and he heard a thump and a grunt as the inhabitant shuffled to the door. He briefly debated leaving her alone, but he was too late as the door creaked open and the stitch mouthed owner of the room slumped against her door and looked up at the clone through her thick bangs. She would have growled at him if she didn't see his frightened wide eyes. She quietly closed her door and put on a quick set of clothes before slamming the door open

" **Come on,"** she signed as she caught her guitar and a generic electric guitar when Shadow tossed it at her. She brought him to the Zeta entrance area a pulled up a pair of bar stools from the kitchen. Superboy didn't question it as he sat down and took the instrument offered to him. He absently strummed a few notes as Kage settled into her seat facing him. **"Do you want to talk about it?"**

Superboy didn't say anything as he stopped strumming. He avoided her gaze, debating whether or not he honestly wanted to. He heaved a deep sigh and gave Kage a look that sent a pang of nostalgia and pain through her. "I dreamed that I was still in Cadmus, and Aqualad, Robin, and Kid, never found me. If I never met you or M'gann and I lived my entire life as Cadmus's weapon. I-I dreamed that I was fighting Superman with all of his powers and winning, but so many people were hurt or killed because of it. I'm just so scared that this all turns out to be some sick dream that the Cadmus scientists would give me to see how I'd react," he explained as he put his head in his hands and ran one of them through his already messy hair. Suddenly, the clone felt arms wrap around him and envelope him in a hug.

His eyes snapped open to find Kage giving him a hug, her guitar lying forgotten against her stool. Superboy's arms circled the small teen, but he was hesitant to touch her. He relaxed his muscles, not knowing when they tensed, as he returned the embrace. When they released each other Kage tapped Superboy's head and pointed to the Zeta transporter. **"Come on. I know what'll cheer you up,"** with no further explanation, Kage strapped her guitar to her back and started walking to the Zeta tubes and started setting the destination.

Superboy was hesitant but followed suit, finding himself in a city bustling with life despite the early morning hours. They had walked out of an old abandoned building that sat on a street parallel to a park. "Where are we?"

" **We're in New Orleans, right outside of Jackson Square,"** she answered bluntly as she pulled her hoodie out of the shadows of the building and pulled it on over her head, leaving her hair in it as she put her mask on over her face. She dissolved the sleeves and walked out with the clone trailing after her.

"Where are we going?" he said, rephrasing his initial question.

" **To see a friend** ," she signed as she led him through the quiet streets. He followed quietly and became lost in the sights around him. Kage noticed this and let out a breathy chuckle at his child-like wonder, signing when he turned a curious eye on her, **"You should see this place during Mardi Gras. If New York is the city that never sleeps, then this is the city can't understand the concept. There's always something going on be it a festival or a block party."**

"Mardi Gras is the celebration with the huge parades right?" Superboy inquired without looking away from the city around him. Kage hummed in confirmation before turning a corner to the seedier parts of the Crescent City. No longer enchanted by his surroundings, the clone glared warily at the shady people that watched them pass. Superboy raised a skeptical brow when they stopped in front of an old-looking costume shop called _The Masquerade_. "Wasn't expecting this," he muttered under his breath, earning an elbow to the ribs as he followed the mute in.

The bell hanging over the door chimed as the glass door creaked open. Superboy heard the shuffling in the back room as someone called out, "Coming!" They heard a loud crash and a slur of curses as a small young woman of Asian decent walked around the velvet burgundy curtain and blinked owlishly at them through her thick black wide framed glasses. A grin bloomed on her face when she realized who was in her shop. Before Superboy could understand what was going on, Kage was engulfed in what he could only describe as a suplex hug. "Kage! It's so great to see you!" the woman shrieked, squeezing tighter with each world. "What are you doing here?"

"Um…I don't think she can breathe," Superboy pointed out awkwardly.

The woman turned to him and blinked before looking down at the girl in her arms who was alarmingly limp. The woman loosened her grip on Kage and set the mute on her feet. **"It's great to see you too Aunt Michelle,"** she signed. **"How have you been?"** Michelle wasn't a tall woman, but she was still taller than Kage. She had short black hair cut in a bob with pale skin and a button nose, and her dark brown eyes were lit with joy.

"I've been doing great, but who's he?" Michelle asked, gesturing to Superboy.

" **This is my friend Superboy,"** she answered.

Michelle gave Superboy a gentle smile as she held her hand out to him, "Pleasure to meet you Superboy. What can I do for you two today?"

" **I was hoping that we could use the room. Doctor's orders,"** Kage signed playfully as Michelle gained a knowing smirked as she took in the instruments on their backs.

The older woman nodded and held open the curtain to the back room for them, "You know where to go." Kage nodded and waved for Superboy to follow and he did so with a confused frown. There behind the curtain were two doors, one leading to the employee break room, and another leading to a set of stairwells with a door at the bottom. Kage led him to that door with Michelle trailing after them. When she opened the door, Superboy gaped at what was hidden under the little costume shop. He slowly took in the luxurious recording studio and his eyes lit up in excitement when they landed on the door that led to the sound booth.

"Whoa," he said breathlessly as he slowly approached the door. He looked to Kage when she tapped his shoulder.

" **What song do you want to practice?"** she asked, tilting her head in a way that reminded him of a dog.

"You're asking _me_?" he asked in shock.

Kage's shoulders shook in silent laughter, **"Yes I'm asking you. This is your session."**

The clone put a hand to his chin in thought before his eyes lit up in excitement. "C-can we play _Novocaine_?"

Michelle nodded in approval of Superboy's decision, "You have good taste."

The ravenette blushed in embarrassment as he scratched the back of his neck, "I-I heard it on Kage's phone and she taught it to me." Michelle looked at the mute and pulled her into another suplex hug.

"I'm so proud of you!" Kage's arms were trapped at her sides and her face was stuck in the half-Japanese woman's well-endowed chest.

"Er…Ms. Michelle –"

"Call me Auntie!" she exclaimed in absolute bliss.

"…Auntie… I don't think Kage can breath," he pointed out. The clone wasn't sure what the warmth in his chest was, but he liked it. Michelle released the smaller girl and gave her a sheepish smile. Kage waved her off and pat her shoulder reassuringly. The teen duo brought their guitars around to their fronts and entered the sound booth. Michelle made sure that the microphone was on before exiting, leaving the two teens to handle the rest. "Can you start it off?" he asked with a slight glint in his eyes. Kage noticed this and felt her stitches pull at her lips as they tried to turn up into a knowing smirk and nodded. She started playing the first chords of the song, and Superboy bobbed his head to it before he stepped up to the mic,

"This is a black, black ski mask song

So put all of your anger on"

Superboy soon joined Kage as he tried to emulate Patrick Stumps voice.

"In the truly gruesome do we trust

I will always land on you like a sucker punch"

Kage stopped playing so Superboy's part could be heard.

"Singing I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare

I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare"

After each verse, Kage played the corresponding notes to substitute for her inability to sing and would stop playing to emphasize the clone's amazing singing voice. The pair felt grins forming (twitching, in Kage's case) on their face at the sight of Michelle dancing rather badly on the other side of the glass separating them. Kage stopped playing altogether when Superboy began to play the bridge.

"If you knew, knew what the bluebirds sang at you,

You would never sing along

Cast them out cause this is our culture

These new flocks are nothing but vultures!"

Kage was surprised to find that Superboy didn't falter in holding the note like most people would have, allowing her to draw the conclusion that he probably sang to himself when he thought no one was around. She shook the thought off when her part came up.

* * *

 **SUPERBOY POV**

My heart was pounding in my chest, as Kage and I seemed to become completely in sync with each other. I never really understood what Kage meant when she told me that being completely in tune with someone was the best feeling ever, but now that I'm experiencing it, I can see what she means. It sends a thrill of excitement through your entire body as you begin to realize that your playing, which was loud and pretty in its own right, became even louder and more beautiful with another person playing along. It was addicting and I couldn't wait until the rest of the song plays out.

"Because they took our love and they filled it up

Filled it up with Novocaine and now I'm just numb

Now I'm just numb

And don't mind me, I'm just a son of a gun

So don't stop, don't stop until your heart goes numb

Now I'm just numb

I don't feel a thing for you!"

I was surprised that I could reach that note considering how deep my voice is. Hell, Patrick Stump's voice is higher than mine throughout the entire song and I'm just glad that my voice isn't cracking. I paused to allow Kage to play, following the same pattern as before.

"I'm just a problem that doesn't want to be solved

So could you please hold your applause

Take this sideshow and all its freaks

And turn it into the silver screen dream

Singing I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare

I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare!"

This burning in my chest, that boiling rage I had toward everything was gone as I put my heart and soul into this song. All my emotions were centered around this piece of music and for the first time since Kid, Aqualad, and Robin found me, I felt relaxed. I wasn't angry with Superman. I wasn't angry with Batman. I wasn't even angry with myself anymore. I felt…joy. I couldn't even remember why I was scared in the first place.

"If you knew, knew what the bluebirds sang at you,

You would never sing along

Cast them out cause this is our culture

These new flocks are nothing but vultures!"

I found myself laughing at Auntie's dancing, the grin on her face widened when she saw me watching and she pulled a particularly terrible move that wound up making her fall; I tried really hard not to laugh. My heart sped up in anticipation of the next part.

"Because they took our love and they filled it up

Filled it up with Novocaine and now I'm just numb

Now I'm just numb

And don't mind me, I'm just a son of a gun

So don't stop, don't stop until your heart goes numb

Now I'm just numb

I don't feel a thing for you!"

I closed my eyes and felt all my emotions boiling over once more as the lyrics spilled from my mouth.

"I said one day the valley's gonna swallow me whole

(Hijack the hype! Hijack the hype!)

and I feel like a photo that's been over-exposed

(Hijack the hype! Hijack the hype!)"

Auntie's chants served to heighten my excitement. I opened my eyes to find Kage dancing around before she abruptly stopped in front of me and started to stomp and clap. I joined her, and found that it echoed through the room and seemed to amplify my voice.

"They took our love and they filled it up

Filled it up with Novocaine and now I'm just numb!"

We returned to playing with more vigor than I thought possible.

"Now I'm just numb

And don't mind me, I'm just a son of a gun

So don't stop, don't stop until your heart goes numb

Now I'm just numb

I don't feel a thing for you!"

My voice echoed through the room, as I breathed heavily in exhaustion. "Woo!" I turned to find our only audience member giving us a standing ovation. I gave her a small smile and turned to Kage only to find that she wasn't there. I looked around with furrowed brows and nearly stumbled when something landed on my back. It wasn't heavy, but it did unbalance me. I craned my neck to find that it was Kage.

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Kage's body shook with restrained laughter as she rolled off of the Kryptonian clone. Superboy stared at her in confusion before he broke down and started laughing with her. "As much as I enjoyed that, what does it have to do with my nightmares?" he asked once he calmed down.

Kage scratched the back of her head in embarrassment and avoided his gaze, **"When I have nightmares, I play or listen to music, so I thought that maybe it could work for you."**

Superboy looked at the mute in shock. Sure, he thought of her as an older sister, but even then he didn't expect her to do such a thing for him. He expected her to let him handle it on his own, not try to comfort him. His shocked look melted into a warm smile as he pulled her into a tight hug. Kage stiffened, having not expected that. "Thanks," Superboy whispered. Kage relaxed and hesitantly reciprocated the action. Michelle was watching from the doorway and couldn't help but join into the hug.

"Come here you two!" she cried out, pulling them both into a warm group hug. "You sounded great! I honestly didn't expect you to sound like that. This calls for celebration waffles!" Both teens perked up at this, Kage at her "aunt's" cooking, and Superboy at the word waffles. The pair followed the excitable woman to her apartment where they were treated to chocolate chip waffles with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

"So, what do you think?" Michelle asked as she sat at the kitchen counter with her own stack of waffles.

Superboy answered by turning to the mute next to him, "Why haven't you brought me here before. You know I love waffles." This is true. Ever since Kage introduced the clone to waffles, he's been hooked. Basically waffles are to Superboy what strawberries are to Kage. Needless to say that they were all having simultaneous foodgasms.

When Michelle finally recovered from her foodgasm, she gave Superboy a puzzled look, "You don't have to come here for celebration waffles. I taught Kage how make them." Superboy slowly turned to give Kage a deadpanned look, but she turned away in the same manner.

"Anyway…" he said, deciding to let it go for now, "thanks for bringing me here. It helped a lot."

Kage finally turned back to Superboy, and the clone could practically feel the smile pulling at her stitches, **"What are big sisters for?"**

"Apparently not waffles," he retorted, earning a bark of laughter from Michelle, who had been watching the entire exchange.

Kage smacked his shoulder and continued to enjoy her delicious food. When they finished, they prepared to return to the Cave. They waved at Michelle as they returned to the Zeta Tubes and arrived at the cave to find a very humorous sight. M'gann was frantically flying around the cave looking for them while Red Tornado stood in the middle of Hurricane M'gann, watching as she got more and more worked up.

The Martian's head snapped around like an owl and her eyes widened in shock and relief. She shot over to the pair and pulled them into a surprisingly gentle hug. "Don't scare me like that! I thought you two went missing," she sighed happily.

"Sorry," Superboy grunted apologetically.

M'gann's face scrunched up in slight disgust, "Why are you so sweaty?"

Superboy and Kage looked at each other and chuckled as they moved past M'gann to get ready for the day. As they walked to their rooms, Superboy looked to Kage, "I'm going to start tinkering with the Supercycle, you wanna join me?"

Kage shook her head and began to explain when she saw the clone's puppy eyes, **"I thought I'd catch up on my reading while you and M'gann do your low key couple thing,"** She nearly burst into a fit of giggles when she saw the clone's face grow fire engine red. Superboy muttered a word of thanks before nearly bolting for his room. Kage chuckled as she slipped into her room to grab a change of clothes and some towels. She left for the shower room, and when she came out, she wore a long sleeved black and red shirt with a black British flag tee over it and red acid wash jeans. She headed for the Cave's library and grabbed a couple books. Instead of going to the cliff like she usually would, she settled for stretching out on the couch with her pile on the floor next to her. However, Sphere, the sentient metal ball that they found in Bialya, had other plans. The giant ball started nudging at the mute, prompting her to look up at him…her…it? Let's just go with "her." She rolled back and forth in the direction of the Cave entrance.

* * *

 **KAGE POV**

I sighed and reluctantly followed Sphere to the entrance of the Cave where Superboy was waiting without M'gann. **"What happened to alone time with M'gann?"** I asked curiously.

"She wanted to wear the 'perfect outfit' for her first day," he grunted with a dissatisfied frown. Aww my little bro isn't getting any. Oh well, not my problem. Not long after we fell into a companionable silence, M'gann interrupted it by flying in with Red Tornado, J'onn, and Kaldur.

"I made our lunches!" she announced, gesturing to the paper bags in her hand as she floated over to her boyfriend.

"The first day of the scholastic season carries great cultural resonance. We want to wish you three well," J'onn said with a small smile.

Superboy noticed the absence of a certain Boy Scout and gave me a kicked puppy look, "Guess its not a kryptonian thing…Wait three?"

J'onn gave him a puzzled look as he looked between us, "I was under the impression that Kage would be attending school with you."

All eyes turned on to me and I gave a nonchalant shrug, **"I was given the offer, but I don't feel like going through that again."**

"Again?" Kaldur queried with a raised brow.

" **I graduated college already. I have a degree and everything,"** I explained, enjoying the looks of amazement that she was given.

"Even if you do not require the education, do you not wish to interact with people your own age?" J'onn asked, I could tell he was trying to understand my decision and I appreciate that.

But I scoffed, and they could probably feel the eye roll that I was giving them, **"That's partly why I'm on this team in the first place. I'm too mature for high school bullshit."** I folded my arms and tilted my head as J'onn gave me a sly smirk.

"Really? Because I do believe I saw you –" NOPE! I covered his mouth before he could finish that embarrassing sentence.

" **Aren't you here to see them off? Why don't we get back to that?"** I signed hurriedly, giving a pointedly tilted head to the thoroughly amused Martian. The attention returned to Miss Martian, who was still in uniform.

"You…may wish to change before you depart," Kaldur said carefully.

M'gann perked up in excitement, "I spent hours choosing this outfit!" Her clothes changed into a light burgundy skirt, a white short sleeved shirt, and a light burgundy sweater, however her skin was still green. "What do you think? Can M'gann M'orzz pass as an earth girl now?"

Kaldur gave me an unsure look over the red head's shoulder, prompting her to turn her hopeful eyes on me for some odd reason. **"Earth girls aren't green,"** I heard Kaldur choking on his own saliva at how blunt and unsympathetic I was in pointing that out.

To my surprise, M'gann giggled, "Just kidding!" With a quick twirl, her skin adopted the skin tone of a Caucasian woman. "Meet Megan Morse," she said with a playful curtsy as she winked at me. "What's your new name?"

Superboy looked at his girlfriend as if she grew a second head(again), "My what?"

Martian Manhunter changed into his human form, which was an African American man with kind features as he began to explain, "I chose the name John Jones for myself and I've suggested John Smith for Red Tornado. You could be a John too."

"Pass," Superboy dismissed bluntly.

Megan put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a dreamy look, "Connor's always been my favorite name." Superboy looked down at her hand before looking back to her and nodding.

"A last name will also be required," Kaldur stated helpfully and I noticed the sly look on J'onn's face.

"Perhaps…Kent?" he offered slowly, as if not sure if he should be mentioning this.

"Oh! In memory of Doctor Fate, the late Kent Nelson!" I don't think that was what he meant but thank you for reminding me that my grandpa is dead, Megan.

"Of…course" J'onn agreed absently.

"Speaking of names, Kage what is your civilian name?" Kaldur asked while giving me a look of interest. Thanks for putting me on the spot Kaldur.

" **My name is Jacqueline Nelson,"** I signed nervously. I didn't really like the memories that were attached to my name. The old man was the only reason I didn't change it.

The newly dubbed Connor gave me a concerned look, "Is that alright with you?"

At least someone was asking me how I felt about it. I gave him a small nod, **"I'm alright with it. Kent would've been happy to have another grandkid. What I want to know is why you pick Kent instead of Nelson?"**

"Kent sounds better," Megan said with a dismissive wave. I was slightly offended by this, but I shook it off. However, the stern glare that J'onn gave his niece didn't go unnoticed by me. She seemed to realize her mistake and gave me an apologetic look, but I waved it off.

" **Well Connor Kent, its time to change your shirt,"** he put a hand on his chest defensively, but Megan leapt at the chance to explain.

"You don't want to reveal your identity," she explained while tapping his "S" shield. While this exchange was happening, I moved to stand next to Kaldur so I wouldn't be intruding. I was thankful for that because the look on Megan's face when Connor took his shirt of to turn it inside out was absolutely priceless! Her face was impossibly red and I had to bite my tongue to hold in my giggles. When my kryptonian brother asked her if it would do with a less than happy look, Megan spluttered unintelligibly with a bright red blush to match her hair before settling for a dreamy sigh, "Works for me." Connor nodded and put his shirt back on as they left for what I like to call the daily requirement of hell.

"They grow up so fast," J'onn sighed wistfully and Sphere rolled up and made a noise of what I could only assume to be confirmation. I pet the sentient metal ball before returning to the pile of books that were calling my name. Hours in, and I was on my fifth book, and thoroughly enjoying the exploits of Jenna as a Queen's Lady of the fictional country named Sevalia.

"What are you reading?" I felt the couch that I was stretched out on, dip. I looked up from my book to find Kaldur giving me a curious look.

" **You're bored."**

"Incredibly so, but I would still like to know," he said with a small smile. I nodded at him and began to explain the story of my favorite mind mage and her struggle to fit in with her peers. "Hm," he hummed in thought, "I would like to read this book when you are finished, if it is alright with you. Are there any others that you can recommend to me?"

" **What types of books do you usually read?"** I asked. I didn't know that Kaldur liked to read, sure I've seen he reading mission reports, but I never see him read anything for fun.

"I enjoy science fiction and adventure stories," he offered uncertainly.

" **Do you like stories that have magic?"** I asked, already setting up a list in my mind. When he nodded, I snapped my fingers, and Shadow handed me a piece of paper and a pen. I closed my book and began scribbling down a list, covering both sides of the paper with book titles and authors. His eyes widened in what I thought to be horror, before an elated smile spread across his face.

"Thank you, it is refreshing to find someone so enthusiastic towards books. Have you honestly read all of these?" he asked in amazement. I nodded in embarrassment. My bookworm tendencies often garnered me many teases from Barry, Oliver, and Roy, but I couldn't help it. To me, the ability to read was amazing, something to cherish and I admired authors who could weave an entire world together with words alone. Kent would often find me in the Tower's library sprawled out in a little corner I made for myself out of beanbag chairs, pillows, and blankets. If he couldn't find me there, then I was in one of the many rooms that seemed to follow their own set of rules. "I have been meaning to ask you…" he trailed off pulling me from my musings. I nodded for him to continue. "If it is not too painful, what was it like living with Doctor Fate?"

" **He wasn't Doctor Fate,"** I explained, " **he was and always will be Kent Nelson. Fate is a Lord of Order named Nabu. I met him once, and good lord does he have the world's longest stick up his ass."** Kaldur tried to choke down a laugh, probably thinking that said Lord of Order could hear, which in fact, he can, but I don't think I should tell him that. **"Some nights, he would take me to this one room in the Tower that allows you to see the constellations and they would move. They would come down and dance around us while singing this strange song."**

"What would they say?" Kaldur asked, enraptured by my tale.

I shrugged, **"I don't know. I couldn't understand them."**

"That sounds amazing," he sighed wistfully. "I first saw the stars when I came to the surface with my king. I had never seen something some beautiful in my entire life." He looked like he wanted to say something, but was interrupted by a call from Roy. Knowing that he was on a mission in Taipei, I headed to the Cave's computer and booted it up, ready to find any information that he needed. I felt Kaldur walk up next to me to relay that information because of obvious reasons.

"Aqualad and Kage," Kaldur stated seriously.

" **Red Arrow,"** he responded, **"I need access to the Justice League's database and the exact height of the League of Shadows assassin known as Cheshire."**

I was typing before Roy had finished speaking and briefly raised a finger telling Kaldur to wait. "Kage is checking," he announced. I pulled up Cheshire's bio as he picture appeared on the holographic screen. "Cheshire is 1.67 meters," he read with narrowed eyes.

" **Um…"** I sighed at Roy's inability to do conversions and quickly translated it to feet and inches. Kaldur chuckled in amusement at my obvious exasperation and relayed the information.

"Kage says she is 5 foot 6, and exceptionally dangerous." Hey! That wasn't everything I said! If you're going to be the messenger then do it right!

" **That's** _ **all**_ **she said?"** the redhead asked in disbelief.

Kaldur smirked at me, "She also said that it amazes her that you **still** cannot do simple conversions."

" **Hey!** _ **You**_ **try remembering conversions when concussions are a normal thing!"** the archer retorted.

I rolled my eyes earning a funny look from Kaldur, "I _think_ she just rolled her eyes at you. Anyways, do you require back up?"

I heard Roy scoff and puffed out my cheeks before remembering that it could pull at my stitches, **"Please the last thing I need is the Junior Justice League."**

"Just our computer," Kaldur retorted pointedly. I never knew Kaldur was capable of sass.

" **If I needed help then I would have called in Kage, but since it's her day off, I don't plan on needing any,"** Roy said matter-of-factly.

"Then I wish you luck my friend, and Kage says she left a container of – gumbo I believe – in the refrigerator for when you returned," I had to keep myself from laughing at Kaldur's puzzled expression.

" **Sweet, thanks Smiles, Red Arrow out."**

Our coms beeped, signaling that Roy hung up on us. "What is this gumbo?" Kaldur asked curiously as he watched my fingers fly over the holographic keyboard.

" **I'll make it for you guys some time, but right now we're about to fuck up,"** I signed as I downloaded a familiar game.

"Five Nights At Freddy's?" Kaldur read with a puzzled expression. "I do not see what is so bad about a video game." Oh, Kaldur. I'm going to enjoy this. I grabbed the stools that Superboy and I left lying around and brought them towards the computer.

" **Why don't you play and find out?"** I pushed the keyboard toward my Atlantean friend. Kaldur narrowed his eyes at me and took the keyboard.

"As Robin would say, 'Challenge accepted.'"

 **10 MINUTES LATER**

"I do not see what the – OH MY GODS!" I nearly died laughing when Kaldur fell off his stool, trying to get away from Freddy himself. He turned to me in horror and slight shock, "What kind of twisted soul made this game? Why are we playing this game?"

I couldn't answer, I was laughing so hard. I clenched my thighs to keep myself from falling as well. I launched into another fit of laughter when he jumped again as our coms went off. I calmed down a little when I heard how tired Roy was, not to mention the fact that he sounded like he just came out of the shower.

" **Its me. I may…** _ **possibly**_ **be in over my head,"** he admitted begrudgingly.

I sighed in exasperation, **"Let's go help my idiot brother."** I headed to my room and switched out my blue shoelaces for dark red ones to go with my pants along with a hoodie. I was pulling my messy hair into a fishtail braid as I slipped the hoodie on hover my head.

"Are you ready to go?" Kaldur asked when we met up at the Zeta tubes. I nodded in answer and put our destination into the computer. Once we arrived at the exit point in Taipei, we made a break for hotel that the Rhelasian Peace Summit was taking place at. Roy wouldn't tell me who the arbitrator was, which gave me a sneaking suspicion that I wouldn't like him or her. When we met up at the hotel, I found out how right I was. I stormed over to Roy and pointed furiously at the smug bald bastard standing next to him.

"I don't like it either, but the least we can do is protect him until the peace summit is over. You don't even have be near him, I promise," he said with a pleading look. I knew that look all too well. It was the "Don't trust me to be alone with this person without expecting me to put an arrow in their face" look. I sighed and agreed as he explained his plan to us. He would stand behind Lex fucking Luthor as the obvious focus of attention while Kaldur would blend in with the crowd of reporters allowed into the summit and I hangout on the ceiling inside the shadow of one of the hanging lights.

When the summit started, Aqualad made sure to look like an innocent spectator, while Shadow and I took to the ceiling the first chance we got. On a side note, I wonder how Connor and Megan are doing in school right now. I shoved that thought aside as Prime Minister Tseng and General Singh came from their respective entrances and watched in boredom as the petty old men argued over the smallest things. By some point it became clear to everyone that no one knew who started the initial issue and that it all boiled down to an eye for an eye to them. It was clear to me that these two war mongers had gone blind years ago, but it's not my place to judge the government of countries I have nothing to do with.

"The unification is unthinkable!" exclaimed Prime Minster Tseng.

For once General Sigh agreed with him, "Our peoples no longer have anything in common!"

Luthor, that sneaky bastard was completely calm as he tried to mediate, "Gentlemen this is mere rhetoric. Despite your differences you still share an appreciation for many things such as the exquisite are of the Rhelasian Tea Ceremony."

" _Mistress, the tea server is Cheshire,"_ Shadow announced. I nodded on reflex. I keep forgetting that Shadow is literally a part of me. I made Aqualad's shadow tug on his pants leg and discreetly had it point towards Cheshire. He glanced back and turned towards the assassin with his water bearers at the ready.

"That is far enough, Cheshire," I could barely make out her congenial smile contorting into an irritated scowl. I could feel my muscles bunching as Red Arrow pointed his bow at her with a hand on his quiver to signify that he was ready for anything she would dish out. I saw her press something on the cart she was pushing and shove it towards the dignitaries. I saw Kaldur taking the water from the various glasses on the table and Red aim his bow at the cart. Before I knew what was going on, Shadow curled around me to protect me from the blast of the explosion. I mentally thanked him for that because I seriously didn't want to go around fighting naked. When he uncurled from me, I was able to see that Aqualad wasn't unaffected by the blast even with his water shield. His clothes were torn and his breaths were labored. I asked Shadow to release me and gracefully flipped over to land on one of the fallen statues as Cheshire tried to get to her feet.

Red aimed over Aqualad's shoulder as the Atlantean tore the tattered material away from his body with a stony expression, revealing the hero costume that lay beneath. "Its over Cheshire."

Cheshire gave him a smug smirk in reply, "You would think so." Behind her a helicopter rose to a window that broke from the explosion, carrying Sportsmaster and some League of Shadows foot soldiers. The bodyguards rushed to meet the foot soldiers and Sportsmaster. The blonde assassins didn't seem to be phased by the burly men, but then again he was a trained assassin, he wasn't trained to let things visibly affect him.

"Kage, you take Sportsmaster. Kaldur, you've got the foot soldiers. Cheshire is mine!" Red ordered, narrowing his eyes at the sai wielding assassin.

"So territorial and only our third date," she purred. What?! I turned to Red and he had the decency to look embarrassed as he growled at the woman. "I didn't date her!"

Cheshire tried to taunt me when she saw my reaction, "Oh, I hope I'm not breaking up such a cute couple."

"Oh that is just sick," Red Arrow groaned in disgust. I felt bile rising up my throat in disgust at the thought of dating my brother figure and I could see a light tinge of green on Red's face as he sent an arrow flying at Cheshire. I charged after the arrow alongside Aqualad and twisted around Cheshire when she moved to stab us. I left a shoe mark on her rear end when I kicked her towards the ginger. I saw one brave guard try to take out Sportsmaster with a nightstick. I'm a little a shamed for them, if they were going to use a nightstick – which is pretty much a tonfa – then you should at least learn how to use it properly. Instead of making my own like I usually do, I took a pair from a guard who was favoring his gun and rushed at Sportsmaster before he had time to protest. After the first guard was taken down, the others abandoned the minions to gang up on him, but it didn't work too well considering they were all sprawled out on the ground. I held it by the small handle on the side like and rested the long end along my arm and the shorter end under my fist.

I performed a spinning jump kick at his face, surprising him and started to engage him in close combat. He tried to skewer me with an overly sharpened javelin, but I repeatedly blocked his attempts with my newly acquired nightstick. See! This is how they're supposed to be used. I twirled one around my arm tauntingly when one of his blows pushed me back. "You could do so much better," he taunted back as he charged at me. I ignored him as I ducked under his arm and smashed the nightstick against his face, cracking his mask.

"You're strong and skilled enough to do anything you want and yet you waste it with these weaklings. I bet that your teacher would be so disappointed in you, little Ripper." That damn name! I hate that name with all my being and I refuse to answer to it! I delivered a brutal punch to the blonde's ribs and could feel his bones cracking under my pale fist.

"There's that savage little soldier I met thirteen years ago," he said breathlessly as he managed to land a kick to my knee, breaking my balance enough for him to land a punch to my masked face. I never wanted to be that person in the first place! I shook off the blow and tossed Sportsmaster over my shoulder. I broke his javelin with the nightstick and delivered three rapid blows to his side. I jumped back when he retaliated and watched warily as he pulled out a rapier. "Not bad Jackie. A lot better than your team in Santa Prisca or Bialya," he said pointedly. I tensed in surprise, and like the drama queen he is, he answered my unspoken question. "Let's say I have an inside source, _very_ inside."

"Kage! Aqualad! Let's end this!" He shot an arrow at the sprinklers on the ceiling, breaking them and giving Aqualad more water to work with. It glowed with his magic as he created a huge water serpent that knocked all of the minions unconscious. However, when it headed in our direction, I leapt out of the way so that it would hit my opponent, but Cheshire took my place and threw a smoke bomb at it. I sensed a soldier leaping for the dignitaries and acted on instinct. I dropped through a shadow portal and popped out in front of the soldier only for him to be blasted away by a plasma beam. I looked in the direction it came from to find that Luthor's assistant, Merci was folding a plasma cannon into her arm.

"Gives new meaning to the arms race doesn't she?" now I know why Luthor was the arbitrator. He just wanted to promote his newest weapon and make a bigger profit off the possible war waged.

The dignitaries sighed in relief and turned their attention to Luthor, "That technology is most impressive."

"We owe you our lives." I sighed in disappointment at the men fawning over the weapon. If this is the best that North and South Rhelasia has to offer, then they are all doomed. I skirt around the fallen statues to report my newfound information to Aqualad and Red Arrow.

"They owe _him_ their lives," the archer scoffed.

We turned our attention to the blonde reporter covering the summit, "Yes, quite a coup for Lex Luthor. Under his leadership, North and South Rhelasia are signing a treaty, which could eventually lead to reunification. I highly doubt it but we will have to wait and see.

I followed Aqualad and Red out of the summit with Red still bitching about it. "I can't believe we just did a solid for Lex Luthor," he grumbled grumpily.

"Not for Luthor, for peace. Beyond that, if Ra's and the League of Shadows wanted to sabotage the summit, the signing of the treaty renders their contract moot. It is over," he said thoughtfully.

I waved my hand to get their attention, **"I wouldn't count on it. Sportsmaster implied that there was a mole on the team, but I don't know if he was telling the truth considering I trust him about as much as I trust the Joker with a crowbar. We can't completely rule it out as much as I hate to think that one of us is a traitor either by choice or otherwise."**

"We will investigate quietly," Aqualad said solemnly, liking it just about as much as I did.

"Not tell them?" Roy inquired in surprise.

" **We can't risk them turning against each other because of baseless suspicions, and if there really is a mole, then we shouldn't tip him or her off,"** I reasoned.

Red smirked at us and gave a sarcastic salute, "Good luck with that." The ginger made to leave, but Aqualad stopped him.

"One moment my friend. Tonight, you could have called Green Arrow for help, the Justice League, or even just notified Kage. Instead, your first instinct was to call the cave."

"You're right," Roy relented. "The team deserves – _has_ – my respect. I'm still getting used to this soloing stuff. I still ask Kage for help every now and then," he said as he came back to pull my hood down and ruffled my hair, messing up my braid. I groaned and swatted at his large hand. "If you guys need me, I'll be there." He shook Kaldur's hand and pulled me into a hug before turning me upside down and chuckling as I kicked my legs out in surprise.

Kaldur tried to hide his laughter, but I could see him struggling to hold it in, so in revenge, I had Shadow take on the form of Freddy Fazbear and play the song. They froze in fear and slowly turned to see the flashing eyes and bear-like silhouette. When the song ended, Shadow jumped at them with the game's signature scream. They screamed and dropped me, instead holding onto each other. I moved behind Shadow, trembling in laughter as they slowly realized that "Freddy" wasn't stuffing them in a suit. Shadow returned to his original form and let out a hissing laugh. The looks on their faces were priceless!

Roy gave me an angry glare, "You're an evil bitch." I proudly performed a theatrical bow before giving him my middle fingers with a tilt of my head. I think I heard him grumble something about "a smug little shit."

"Why would you do that?" Kaldur asked as he finally got control of his breathing.

Roy gave me a disbelieving look. He's joking right?

I shook my head. Afraid not.

He _doesn't_ know that you're a sadistic troll?

He knows I'm a troll, but he doesn't know how much of a troll I am.

Before Roy could respond, Kaldur cleared his throat, gaining his attention. The ginger gave him a deadpanned look. "This little shit right here," he said, wrapping his arm around my neck in a playful headlock, "is mischievous – which is the biggest understatement of the millennium."

Kaldur eyed me warily, "I am starting to see that." I felt my lips twitching up, and for once not caring if they pulled at my sutures.

* * *

 **Alright everyone, this chapter turned out longer than I thought it would be and I'm okay with that. I'm sorry for such a late update, I've been really busy with school and the stress that comes with it. Don't worry I won't drop this story because I love it too much to do so. My friend has been a big help fix some plot holes before updating it, so bare with me.**

 **Thank you to,**

 **Halloween Witch**

 **pruttkorvar**

 **TheBustyBarmaid**

 **CharBeast09**

 **twilightrules17**

 **19baby94**

 **sweetlittlemiko**

 **Katatonic97**

 **ArtChild96**

 **thachan**

 **Crazed Aj**

 **Boomer1125**

 **Observer and Scholar**

 **Fantasy-Mania**

 **CrescentSoul22**

 **rjhaines699**

 **shika93**

 **RedShade999**

 **starshadow1221**

 **CullenMia**

 **.Hearts.x**

 **Yususke Kurosaki(awesome name!)**

 **emD19**

 **Helloimlxs**

 **FFLover 4ever(like your name too)**

 **shifterofthedark**

 **Thank you all for supporting my story and putting up with my long gaps between updates. Things are going to be heating up pretty soon especially because the next episode will go more into Kage's hero life. I'll talk to you guys later, and remember I love reviews!**


	11. Realization

**Hello everybody, this is Bezerker speaking and I'd like to start this chapter off on a positive note by saying how much I love you guys and your reviews! I wonder what's going on though. I receive your comments, but they don't show up on my review page. I'll figure that out while I get this done. On to the reviews that you have so generously gifted me with.**

 **Halloween Witch: Stop, you're making me blush! I was trying to take Rockabillie's advise and branch out with my character development. Also, I can't play FNAF or Photo Frame because I would break my computer either running from the jump scares or punching my screen.**

 **Rockabillie123: Speak of the devil, or alien fairy unicorn woman. Sportsmaster plays a role in Kage's history, but isn't that important to it because they met briefly before. If anything, he's the punching bag/exposition guy for Kage's past. Also, Kage's powers are linked to her mental stability; the limits to what she can do are linked to her imagination. If she is fully functioning, she can do almost anything, but say she's depressed, then the most she can do is tendrils and swords, and even then it isn't much. Her strength is her weakness because if she were to be emotionally vulnerable enough, then she would be the most vulnerable to attack. Honestly you're my favorite because you give me helpful suggestion that make me better, and nothing could make me happier than that.**

 **Firecracker-TheBatCrazyDemigod: Sweet mother of God! I'd never thought someone would binge read my story and I'm so happy to receive these rapid-fire reviews, Rockabillie might be in for a run for her money. I heard you ship Kage and Kaldur, well I have news for you! Also I pity your male cousin, he should have known better. I don't remember mentioning a one eyed man, and if I did, then my bad, I was meant to take him out of the story.**

 **Guest: I completely agree with you. The leader gets almost no love from the oc's. When I said soul, I didn't mean her emotions so much as an actual soul. Although in Failsafe, her powers will be put to the test.**

 **pyrojack25: I love FNAF but I don't like playing it. Also I don't know why the recent reviews aren't showing up. I'm going to have to look into that.**

 **Peace-n'-Luv4601: I'm happy that you love my story, I can only hope to get better.**

 **suntan140: Thank you for the compliment!**

 **Guest: Yes, yes I did. I am extremely morbid.**

 **Julia N SnowMiko: Bask in my magical prowess! I didn't even need to go full term at Hogwarts, they let me graduate early.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN YOUNG JUSTICE BUT I HEAR THEY'RE TRYING TO GET A 3** **RD** **SEASON IF ENOUGH PEOPLE WANT IT BACK. GET IN ON THAT PEOPLE!**

* * *

 **NEW ORLEANS**

 **SEPTEMBER 14, 16:53 CDT**

 **3** **rd** **POV**

"This is Cat Grant reporting live from New Orleans' Historic French Quarter where the local hero, Kage is in mid battle against the so called Terror Twins who have been on a three-state rampage through the south."

Just as the reporter said, Kage was fighting against a pair of blonde twins dressed in tank tops, black pants, combat boots, and red suspenders. This wasn't her first run-in with the troublesome duo. Like Joker and Batman, they were her typical villains. They have yet to kill people, but they wouldn't particularly care if they did. New Orleans was her hometown and she would be damned if she let them destroy it for some kind of sick kicks. Unfortunately for the mute, the Tommy, the male twin, seems to have taken a bit of a liking to Kage. In every one of their encounters, he'd attempt to flirt with her, earning eye rolls from both her and his sister, Tuppence.

Currently, Kage was being sent flying toward the Mississippi River, only to be saved by Shadow as he stood atop the water. The twins, having never seen him before, paled in terror, not realizing that their own shadows were about to send them flying. All they could register were their arms being grabbed and wind whistling past their ears as Kage formed a bat to send them flying towards the Mardi Gras float warehouse. After she sent the last twin flying, Shadow swallowed her up and spat her out in the warehouse where the rest of her team was waiting. Kaldur jumped in shock when Kage appeared right next to him before giving her a playful glare. Kage shrugged and started to count down from three before pointing towards the portion of the ceiling in which the twins would crash through. He and Red Tornado silently left their hiding places to restrain the twins and wrap inhibitor collars around their necks before they could get their bearings.

"That don't feel right," Tommy said in his southern drawl and his eyes widened in shock when he found that he couldn't break the Atlantean's hold on him. "My strength!" he gasped as he looked back at Aqualad in slight panic. "But I done just gone toe to toe with that pretty shadow girl."

"Congratulations, you want a cookie?"

* * *

 **CONNOR POV**

I didn't even flinch as Kage rose from the floor because I was too busy glaring at Tommy Terror. Kage is pretty regardless of what she probably looks like under her mask, but the fact that this delusional sack of shit thinks he has a chance is repulsive. I'm pretty sure Kaldur would agree judging from the hard set of his jaw as he glared down at the blonde. I got a small amount of satisfaction at his shocked expression when I stepped out as his near perfect double.

 **"** **You think he'll finally get a clue?"** I saw Kage sign out the corner of my eye.

"I doubt it, but we can only hope," I retorted with a derisive snort. We watched M'gann walk up to Tuppence, placing a hand on her shoulder to get fully into character while I put my hands on my hips. "Got yer inspiration _sister_ Tuppence?" I've been practicing this accent for all week and I've been having M'gann and Kage coach me on some southern speech patterns. Never in my life did I know that there were different types of southern accents, but hey, the more you know.

When Miss Martian took her hand away from the Tuppence, she began to take her form, "I believe I do _brother_ Tommy." They looked at her in shock and mild disgust as Miss Martian gave me a smug smirk.

 _"_ _This is all kinds of wrong,"_ Kage whispered through our private mind link.

"Somebody tell me what's going on?!" I scowled at the redneck, but didn't reply as Batman came out of practically nowhere to place matching collars around our necks.

"It's simple, _they're_ under arrest." Batman's dramatic intimidation tactic was utterly destroyed by the short masked girl reaching up on her toes to tap him on the shoulder.

 **"** **Are we done here?"** everyone's favorite mute signed. I don't know why, but Kage hasn't been in the best of moods since last night. All I know is that her mood has something to do with the fact that she's smelled like blood since yesterday. I broadcasted this thought to M'gann but her face turned red and she said that she'd tell me about it later.

Batman sighed, "Yes, but you and Kaldur will be waiting for them outside of Belle Reve after you turn these 'Tommy' and 'Tupence into the police.'" Kage nodded and cuffed me and Miss Martian before she led us out the awaiting press. She abruptly stopped us in front of the door and turned me around to sign at me.

 **"** **Don't drop the soap."**

"Haha screw you," I deadpanned as I mentally prepared myself for supervillain prison.

* * *

 **KALDUR POV**

I quietly sat in the pilot seat of the Bioship situated in the bayou of Belle Reve Parish outside of Belle Reve Penitentiary waiting for any news from Superboy and Miss Martian. However, I found my gaze straying to my second in command, or at least the impressive fort of blankets, pillows, books, and junk food that she was sitting in on the floor. I do not think I have seen anyone, even Wally or Barry, eat so much chocolate in the span of an hour. I am concerned for I have never seen her in such a mood. I cleared my throat and nervously tried to start a conversation, "I am curious." I saw her masked face poke out of the fort, "I do not know much about you. Tell me, where are you from?"

I warily watched her tilt her head and raise her hands, **"Before my life went to shit, I used to live in New Orleans."**

My eyes widened in surprise, "What was it like?" Her shoulders shook in silent laughter at my reaction.

 **"** **It wasn't anything like you're probably thinking. I used to live on the streets with an old homeless couple. They told me that they found me in a box by a dumpster with an old dog curled around me and licking at my face,"** I was honestly shocked with how easily she talked about it. I had expected at least a little hesitation about such a subject. I never would have guessed that Kage used to be homeless.

"What did they do for food? How did they take care of you?" This is something I never expected from her. Very rarely do we have homeless people in Atlantis, and when we do, they are usually brought to a shelter where they can get back on their fins/feet or they are at least taught how to fend for themselves, but I find that people on the surface do not do as much for their own.

 **"** **I honestly don't know. I think they once told me that they thought I wouldn't survive past a year, but here I am. I used to stand on the sidewalk to sing and dance for food and money. That money would feed us for about a week at the most,"** she explained, and I could practically see a little pale skinned girl with long curly hair covering her face singing and dancing around for other's entertainment while an old man and woman would collect the money for her.

"Have you ever tried to find them again?"

 **"** **There's no point,"** I was shocked with how easily she dismissed it. I felt my anger flaring at such behavior. How could she not feel anything for the people who first raised her?! I demanded as much from her only for her to sigh at me.

 **"** **There's no point because they're dead. The day I was taken, I was buying a special dinner to thank them for taking care of me, but instead I found them lying in a pool of their own blood with pieces of their brains and skulls scattered over the alley walls and ground. I rather not remember it but thanks for making me do it anyway asshole."** I felt heat rising in my cheeks as I spluttered for the proper apology, but found myself lacking. I could practically feel Kage's glare boring down on me before she returned to her fort. Perhaps if I apologize, she might forgive me.

"My apologies, Kage. I should not have made such assumptions about you. I did not mean to offend you," I leaned onto my knees and looked down in shame. I did not look up when I heard her shuffling around, and just assumed that she was not going to listen to me, but my eyes widened when something collided with my head. I looked up to find Kage standing over me her mask slightly skewed to show her slightly downturned lips. When she saw that she had my attention, she tucked the book that she had hit me with under her arm and started signing.

 **"** **I'll forgive you this one time. Remember what they say about assuming Kaldur."**

I chuckled at her reference to the popular surface world saying, "I have certainly made one of myself, have I not?"

Her lips twitched up in amusement and I felt something flutter in my chest. I have only felt that sensation around Tula. Could I – no, we are teammates – friends nothing more. I pushed that thought aside to lighten the slight tension in the ship. "Do you know of anything we can do in Louisiana?" I watched her carefully as she folded her arms and leaned back on her heels.

 **"** **The couple used to take a bus to Gramercy to get snowballs when we had really good days."** I felt my brows furrow in puzzlement. I thought the southern states were too warm for snow. Why would she need to go somewhere else for it? I said as much and felt that flutter again when she giggled. **"A snowball is basically crushed ice covered in flavored syrup. It's really good and it comes in so many flavors. The lady who used to run the stand would make my snowballs free, but I think that was because I always said that it was the best thing I ever ate. Roy and I still go to the shop, but the lady's son runs the shop now. "**

"Perhaps we could go there when the mission is over," I suggested. These "snowballs" have interested me.

 **"** **Sure, we can take the whole team, it'll be fun,"** I was thinking along the lines of just the two of us, but that works just as well. We fell into a comfortable silence that was broken by M'gann reporting in.

 ** _"_** ** _Superboy learned that the ice villains' plan is to break every criminal out of the penitentiary. No specific date was given,"_** I gave Kage a curious look, not sure what to do with that information.

 ** _"_** ** _Keep us posted, and be careful,"_** it has been a while since I heard her "voice." When I felt my Martian friend's presence leave me, I could feel Kage's gaze on me. **"What will we do when we find the mole?"**

I was hoping we could avoid this topic, not sure if M'gann's ship could hear us, I decided to try my hand at sign language. My fingers were slow and clumsy compared to Kage's, but I managed to get my point across. **"We will report them to the league, and give them a full mental assessment to see if their mind has been tampered with, or if they ever saw us as allies to begin with."**

 **"** **Do you have any suspicions on who it can be?"**

I sighed tiredly and replied neutrally, **"It could be any of us, even me. When Psimon wiped us, he could have easily implanted some kind of mental suggestion. We all could have had our minds tampered with by any telepath associated with the Shadows that we have ever encountered."** Why did I ever accept this position? It feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders and I am one mistake away from collapsing under the pressure.

"Ow!" I clutched my head and glared up at my mute friend.

 **"** **Get that look off your face. You look like your dog just got run over,"** she somehow managed to give me sass with sign language. How does one even achieve that level of sass?

"What do you expect me to do? I do not know how the team will react when they find out," I sighed tiredly.

 **"** **We can handle that problem when we get to it,"** she retorted confidently. With that, she patted my shoulder and returned to her fort. Not long after she entered the structure, I could hear a purring sound, so I can only assume that she is sleeping. I could not see her legs poking out of the fort, so I imagine that she was curled up like a feline. Now that I think about it, she is very cat-like in attitude. She has no problem telling someone how she feels, she loves lazing about and doing nothing, and from what Roy has told me, **no one** goes near her food. I pushed the thought away and put the ship on autopilot before leaning back into the chair to rest.

We wound up sleeping longer than intended, because when I woke, the sun was rising and I could hear whimpers coming from Kage's fort. Concerned, I approached her fort and gently pushed aside her blanket doors and saw that Kage was tossing and turning restlessly. "Kage," I said, certain that it would wake her, however, my concern grew when I found that it had no effect on her. I reached a hand out to touch her shoulder only to find myself beneath her with a dagger at my throat. "Kage! It is just a dream!" The bestial growl that left her throat did not make me feel any better. The growl was abruptly cut off when my friend seemed to have come to her senses. The dagger fell with a hollow clink and she backed away from me fearfully. I was going to make an attempt to comfort her, but she raised a hand to stop me. When her breaths evened out, I held a hand out to help her up, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Like a frightened animal, she hesitated to take my hand, but when she did so, I easily pulled her to her feet. I looked down at it in astonishment. Had her hand always been that small? I jerked my head back up to her face when I realized that she was still shaking furiously. I did not know what to do until I remembered what my mother used to do for me whenever I was scared. I gently cradled Kage to my chest and started humming an Atlantean lullaby whilst rocking back and forth. Slowly, her tremors ended, but before either of us could say anything, M'gann interjected with an update.

 ** _"_** ** _The break is coming sooner than later."_**

 ** _"_** ** _Time to pull you out. Call in the league,"_** I ordered. Kage shook her head at me as M'gann protested.

 ** _"_** ** _Icicle would only postpone. We need to learn how they're busting out or they'll just try again,"_** I looked to Kage for her opinion, finding that she agreed, and sighed tiredly.

 ** _"_** ** _Agreed."_** I crossed my arms and gave Kage a nonplussed look, "We remain on alert." She nodded and held up a hand to receive the rubix cube that her shadow tossed at her. I have only ever seen one before, but from what Artemis and Kid have told me, they are insanely hard to solve. However, Kage solved hers in a matter of minutes. "May I try?"

She shrugged and dropped it into her shadow. I barely caught the puzzle when it leapt out of my own shadow. I was surprised to find that it was no longer uniform, but a mesh of colors once more. I looked between my shadow, Kage's shadow, and Kage herself wondering when, in the span of seconds it took to send the cube to me, she reset the puzzle. I shook it off, knowing it was best not to think too hard about it. I twisted and turned the puzzle, finding that it was not as hard as Kid and Artemis made it out to be. I found myself solving the puzzle in just as much, if not more time than Kage. Kage seemed to notice this as I handed the cube back to her and she gave me a nod of what I think is approval. **"Want to play another game?"**

I gave her a skeptical look, "Forgive me if I am a bit dubious, but the last game we played together gave me nightmares." Kage shook her head as she dropped the cube into her shadow. She reached in and pulled out a deck of cards with the word UNO facing me. The game just so happened to have the same name and the goal is to empty your hand of cards. I can do this.

* * *

 **THIRTEEN LOSSES LATER**

I did not account for the fact that Kage is infuriatingly good at this game. However, this time I have one card left and she has five. Currently the number atop our pile is a green five and I have a yellow five in my hand. "Uno," I said, as I warily watched the mute whose poker face was unreadable, even without the mask. I only agreed to play if she did not wear it, but I find that it made no difference, because she thoroughly destroyed me. I bit my lip nervously when she put down three different colored nines. A green, a yellow, and a blue, in that order. She now has two cards and so do I as I draw another card. I saw her lips twitch up and I furrowed my brow as a sense of dread fell over me. No.

 **"** **Are you ready to hate me?"**

No. No. No.

She slapped down a blue draw two, **"Uno,"** and a draw four. **"Out."**

I gave her a deadpanned stare, before looking down at the two cards in my hand, finding nothing to counter it, and tossed them over my shoulder, grumbling under my breath. I narrowed my eyes at the mute as she broke down into a fit of giggles at my failure. She is currently leaning on the makeshift table with her face pressed into her arms as her shoulders shook violently with her laughter. However, she suddenly sat up straight and stared off at Belle Reve. **"Something's wrong,"** she signed.

"What is wrong? Are Miss Martian and Superboy alright?" I asked, concerned for my teammates.

 **"** **Superboy's fine, but Miss Martian just got iced by Killer Frost. Icicle Jr. is leading him to the women's war he's got a plan, so we shouldn't be too worried. Miss M's shadow told me that she is still semi-conscious. It just seems to be a matter of what happens first, Superboy frees her, or she frees herself,"** she explained, as dismissed the chess board and sat with elbows on her knees and her hands clasped under her chin. Soon after, her shoulders sagged and she sighed in what I can only assume was relief. **"He found her, but their cover is blown."**

"Do we call in the League _now_?" I asked in exasperation. Immediately after she gave her confirmation, I began to type in the needed keys to call them, and as expected, Batman received the call.

* * *

 **3** **RD** **POV**

The Justice League arrived not long after Aqualad called Batman, and they were all able to return the inmates to their cells. All except the Riddler. This did not sit well with Kage. Her other teammates did not share her concern for the villain.

"The Riddler's nearly harmless. He couldn't hurt a fly even if he tried," Robin states as if it were a fact, but Kage knew that there was something wrong with that.

 **"** **All of the heavy hitters were forcing their way out while the Riddler probably slithered his way out while the attention was on them. That kind of thing is usually planned… Was the Riddler singled out in any way?"** She directed her gaze to Superboy as he slipped his boots back on with his eyes watching her hands.

"Yeah, the inmates made it a point to insult him ostracize him," he answered with his brows furrowed thoughtfully.

Robin seemed to catch on to Kage's line of thought as the Justice League watched their protégés draw a conclusion from the little information they had. "That could have easily been a cover, in case one of them was a mole, but wait, they couldn't all know about it if it was supposed to be convincing to the mole." No matter how much Batman would deny it, he was extremely proud of how smart their kids were, even though Kage never really had a mentor.

"Which means that only the a few inmates probably knew about the plan, but who?" Miss Martian wondered aloud.

"I give you one guess," Superboy grumbled.

"Icicle Sr." Aqualad answered with wide eyes.

Kage whistled and twirled a finger in the air, **"Ding ding, we have a winner, but the big question is, why would they go through all that work to get the Riddler out?"**

Batman decided that this was the appropriate time to step in, "You have all been very thorough in your investigation. Your theory will be taken into consideration and the League will be watching out for the Riddler." The Team held a mental conversation before their leader nodded his assent.

When they finished boarding the Bioship, M'gann took her position in the pilot's chair while Kaldur pulled out his phone to search something. When he found what he was looking for and projected the thought, the ginger's expression brightened in excitement as she discreetly steered the ship towards the new coordinates. Kage never noticed the exchange as she and Conner jammed out to _All I Do Is Win_. Soon after, Robin and Wally wanted to join in on the fun and asked them to hook it up to the Bioship's speakers. Soon, even Artemis, Kaldur, and M'gann got into the groove.

 _All I do is win win win no matter what  
Got money on my mind I can never get enough  
And every time I step up in the buildin'  
Everybody hands go up!_

Everyone froze with their hands in the air in different poses, and as soon as the music resumed, they waved them up and down while doing the same with their heads.

 _And they stay there  
And they say yeah  
And they stay there  
Up down, up down, up down  
'Cause all I do is win win win  
And if you goin' in put your hands in the air  
Make 'em stay there!_

The fell out into a fit of laughter at their ridiculousness, and Kage immediately recognized where they were as the ship landed. She stood up in her chair and leaned over to see the familiar sight of Lutcher's rustic shopping district. Her lips fell open with the little movement allowed by the stitches and gave Kaldur an incredulous look. The Atlantean felt her gaze and gave her a small smile. His eyes widened when he felt arms wrapped around his neck as Kage squeezed him into a tight hug. He felt his cheeks warm up as his heart fluttered at the contact. He soon snapped out of his stupor and returned the hug, unaware of the knowing looks that his teammates shared. M'gann parked the ship in a secluded area and they all got out dressed in their civvies.

"What're we doing here?" Robin wondered as he took in the rural area in which he stood.

"Kage told me that she would take us to get snowballs when the Belle Reve mission ends. It will be my treat," Kaldur offered, and Wally was immediately on board with the idea, having heard of the treat before. Those already in their civvies waited for Kage, Kaldur, and Conner to get into theirs before going out into the street. Kage turned to Kaldur when she realized that they weren't moving and he gave her a sheepish smile, "I do not know exactly where the stand is."

She shook her head at the Atlantean. **"You didn't think this through,"** it wasn't even a question because she knew he didn't.

"No I did not."

The mute gave a very unladylike snort and gestured for them to follow her. The others snickered at the exchange as they followed the short girl through the old dusty streets. They soon came upon a small shack sitting on a slanted piece of concrete. It was made of wood and painted beige with a big white sign listing all the snowball flavors, sizes, and prices. It had two windows: one to order at, and the other to pick up your order. Kage knocked on the first window and a large African American man poked his head out and smiled at Kage's hooded figure.

"Well if it isn't our little Jaybird!" he boomed as he reached out a big hand to her. Her teammates watched as she did a strange handshake with the man.

 **"** **Mr. Vaughn! It's good to see you again!"** she signed happily.

Mr. Vaughn chuckled and ruffled the curly black hair under Kage's dark hood. "Now I know I've told ya to call me Kendrick, and I know old Kent taught ya some manners. Ya mind introducing me to your new friends?" The teens standing behind Kage all expected her to snap at the man in anger for bringing up her primary care giver, but were shocked to find that her shoulders shook in laughter as she introduced them.

The other window slid open to reveal a boy around the same age as Kage with lighter skin than Kendrick. He had similar features to Kendrick, sharing his high cheekbones, joyful brown eyes, and cleanly cut hair. His eyes lit up in a way that didn't sit well with Kaldur as he gave the girl a blinding white smile as he reached out to her, signing happily. **"It's so good to see you Blue Jay. How have you been?"** he asked before tapping her cheek and nose.

Kaldur felt a pang of jealousy go through him at the sight, wondering why Kage allowed such contact, and then, he blinked in shock, not knowing why he felt jealous of the teen. Conner glared at the teen for the intimate action, feeling protective of the smaller girl. Those feelings only intensified when Kage reciprocated the action. _"Kage seems really close to that guy. I wonder if they're dating,"_ Megan said through the mind link.

"Excuse them, my son's name is Chris, and as ya can see, he signs just like Jaybird. He taught her how. Kent brought her down here one day and asked if Chris teach her. I've never seen him so happy," Kendrick said without taking his eyes off the pair. The team followed his gaze and noticed how familiar the two with each other and how Chris would brush Kage's hair back and put his hands on both sides of her face, turning so he could see her better before signing to her again. The teens could not keep up with their rapid hand movements as their hands danced with words they didn't understand. It was far more complicated than anything she ever signed to them. It made them realize that they barely grasped the basics of sign language and that they wanted to learn more of it. "Ay Jaybird!" Kendrick called, gaining Chris and Kage's attention. "Ya gonna order or what?"

Kage chuckled and nodded, **"I'll have the usual please, and my friends will have to order for themselves, size medium."** She grabbed Kaldur by the arm and pulled him forward. **"His treat."**

Kendrick grinned wide, as if he had just been told a joke and looked to the others. Kaldur ordered whatever Kage would have, Connor wanted watermelon, Megan wanted wedding cake, Artemis got root beer, and Wally asked for banana. Kendrick took their orders with a wide smile and took the needed money from Kaldur before ducking back into the stand with Chris. They listened to the machines working as their snowballs were being made. When they were done, Chris held out cups of various colored cones, calling out the flavors for those who ordered them. When everyone had their designated snowballs, they sat on the curbside and enjoyed the icy treat. Kaldur looked at the nectar cream snowball in his hands, and then looked at Kage, who already cut her mound down to the brim of the styrofoam cup before taking the first bite of his own nectar cream snowball. His eyes widened at the burst of cool sweet flavor that exploded on his tongue, having never tasted anything like it in Atlantis.

He turned to tell the mute next to him, only to find that she was in a deep conversation with Chris. He tightened his grip on the snowball until the juice was running down his hand. Kage turned to him and he straightened up, hiding the crushed treat behind his back. Kage hunched over conspiratorially and giggled, **"Looks like Chris has a little crush."**

Kaldur smiled at her with gritted teeth and nodded, "Really? I wonder who the lucky lady is." Kage looked back at Chris who gave her a look and nodded with a slight blush darkening his face.

 **"** **You."**

Kaldur opened his mouth to respond but froze as he processed that information. He slowly turned to Chris, and then looked at Kage. "What?"

 **"** **To put it simply, Chris thinks you're handsome and wants to go on a date with you. Chris doesn't know how you feel about that, so he wanted me to ask you considering I'm his wingman,"** she explained.

Kaldur had never felt so happy to be hit on by a homosexual in his life. His lips twitched up in relief – of what, he had no earthly clue. He scrambled to reply, and when he could finally string together a coherent sentence, he politely declined Chris's offer and Kage translated. "I am… _flattered_ by your offer, but I do not feel attraction towards men. I hope that you find someone worthy of your affections one day." Chris's blush deepened and nodded before signing something to Kage, to which she signed back something that Kaldur could understand.

 **"** **It's not like that! We're just friends!"** Kaldur felt a sinking feeling in his chest and wondered why.

 _Why do I feel this way towards Kage. I have only felt this way… towards…Tula._ The daunting realization fell upon him like a pile of bricks. _I have feelings for Kage._ He then remembered what she had just told Chris. _What good is that if she just considers me a friend? It will be like Tula all over again._ His pale green eyes softened as he took time to really see Kage. He took in her long curly black hair that disappeared under her hoodie, her paper white skin, even the stitches in her lips that would occasionally twitch up in amusement and happiness. He liked how she was always so strong, but made it clear that she had her weaknesses. She was always so honest with him, and he found that extremely refreshing. Though people were polite in Atlantis, they also spoke in circles, never truly saying what they mean or meaning what they say. _Kage is something else, but if she needs me to be a friend, then that is what I will be._

He finished his nectar cream juice, his snowball having melted down while he was lost in thought. Kage hugged Chris and Kendrick, promising to visit soon before she boarded the Bioship. Kaldur didn't dare look at Kage during the ride back to the cave, fearing that he'd noticeably blush despite his dark skin. He prayed that he would have the strength to hide his feelings, unaware of Kage's own feelings.

* * *

 **Alright everybody, that the end of Chapter 11. Kaldur has finally realized that he has feelings for the tiny mute and Kage isn't too far off from realizing her feelings too. I love your reviews and suggestions. They give me food for thought and help me better flush out Kage's character, also, it helps me with my other stories. I love you all and your opinions, so now its time to thank the people following Kage and I through her journey.**

 **Thank you to…**

 **CrescentSoul22**

 **mantale3**

 **Firecracker-TheBatCrazyDemigod**

 **Marvellover16**

 **pyrojack25**

 **fallenangelsofolympus**

 **Tsukishima11**

 **AraXshadows**

 **Brie45**

 **Lchocoteddy**

 **Guisniperman**

 **suntan140**

 **GothicEmoGirl95**

 **CactusGranny**

 **Madama Crimson(is this a Bayonetta reference?)**

 **zm052**

 **I love you all! And remember, reviews feed the muse. No one wants a hungry muse.**


	12. Chapter 12: Lines Crossed

**HEY GUYS HB here just to let you know that I'm still alive and I've updated my story! As I'm writing right now, I'm on break in my cooking class. I didn't mean to make you guys wait for so long but school likes to kick my writing time out the window.**

 **Halloween Witch: I'm glad you like this chapter. I didn't want to go the normal route and simply focus on M'gann and Connor with a few mentions of Kage or put Kage in the prison with them when she would stand out more than anything else. Also Kage's Uno skills are a gift from me. I constantly frustrate my cousins because they assume that I'm a horrible liar, but I kick their asses at it. My shadow child does have a life outside of the Team and Chris is her very first friend. Like hell she won't be a damn good wingwoman. Kage's kind of romantically stunted so she's pretty oblivious when she's flirting and when someone is flirting with her. However her realization will be MARVELOUS!**

 **LITTLE RED FOXX: Kaldur won't be the first to hear her voice. Mainly because I'm not sure of his relationship status with Kage at that point and because she has people closer to her than Kaldur that she wants to hear her voice first.**

 **Rosto'sGirl: Connor only knows that women can give birth. He doesn't know about periods. Cadmus didn't think the information important enough for him. I honestly didn't intend for them to be so close but it kind of happened.**

 **CasAteDeansPie: Kaldur is my adorable fish baby. Writing his struggles in love is amusing to me.**

 **pryojack25: She doesn't take his betrayal well. At all. I will consider your suggestion but I'm not entirely sure. Light vs. Dark is a very cliché concept. I just wanted her to be a symbol that the Darkness can be used for good instead of the absolutes that are so often used.**

 **guisniperman: I didn't mean for it to be so confusing. Do you mind pointing out where it got confusing for you?**

 **Guest: They know about the stitches.**

 **lordhades17: I aim to please, and I completely intended for Kage's powers to be that way so she wouldn't suffer from Mary-Sue syndrome. Yes, she has control of darkness, but its not absolute.**

 **Julia N SnowMiko: Why thank you! The Slytherin House isn't as bad as people make it out to be.**

 **Guest: I'm glad you loved it so much!**

 **Guest: Kage's powers are almost identical to Jackie Esticado's except she can't sentient beings, she can still use her powers in daylight, and she can't summon darklings or any of the creatures that may lurk in the darkness.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN YOUNG JUSTICE. I ONLY OWN KAGE AND MY OTHER OC'S**

* * *

 **NEW ORLEANS**

 **SEPTEMBER 22, 18:43 EDT**

 **KAGE POV**

I sat at a table outside Café Du Monde sipping on a cup of hot chocolate. I've spent the entire day kicking ass, helping the homeless, and visiting orphanages to make sure their kids were being treated right. I'm pretty much done for today, so I decided to stop and grab something to snack on. I had just finished a plate of beignets and was pretty much enjoying the street musicians playing a little ways down the street.

But of course, all good things come to an end. I've gotten word of a new gang spreading around Louisiana causing trouble and acting like they have absolutely no sense at all. I sighed in annoyance when I saw a bunch of men and women walking around with a swagger in their step that most greenhorn gang members had. It practically screamed self-entitlement and immaturity. It's kind of sad how some of them are barely teenagers. They don't even know what they're getting into. Although I can't exactly say that all gangs are bad, as a matter of fact, I've come in contact with a few mafia families and all they want is to make their home safer by taking care of the guys that the police can't get to. I didn't rat them out under the condition that they only capture the criminals and drop them off at the police station with evidence to their guilt. So far, this system's been working great for me. When I'm out of town, the mafia takes care of my lightweights and report to me when they get back. Superman didn't exactly approve of my use of the mafia to protect my city, but Batman was at least a little impressed that I was making use of the underworld.

They weren't wearing any distinguishing items like most gangs, but I could tell by their cocky grins that they thought they owned the city. One of them caught sight of me and got the attention of her friends. She pointed at me and said something to them that had them walking toward me. I pulled a tablet out of my hoodie and waved over to a waiter to get the message to his manager. Just as the greenhorns surrounded me, everyone else had left the café. "I've heard you're the local hero. The Silent Crusader, Kage," the young woman, most likely the leader of the group, said mockingly.

I simply sipped at my hot chocolate, neither answering nor looking at the thugs. This seemed to annoy the thug because she slapped the cup out of my hand. I watched it shatter on the concrete and slowly turned to show the thugs my masked face. A few of them avoided my gaze and shuffled uneasily.

* * *

 **3** **rd** **POV**

The waiter's eyes widened at the message written on the sheet of paper. Though he was extremely happy that his city's hero called for him, he was alarmed at the message he was given to relay. He quickly found his manager and handed her the paper.

 **Gangsters are coming. They are most likely armed. Evacuate the restaurant. I apologize for the inconvenience.**

The manager hurriedly sent the message out to her customers who didn't hesitate to leave. Just as the manager and waiters were getting ready to leave out the back door, they heard a gun shot and watched as a pair of thugs flew through the window. They shared a glance and got the hell out of dodge.

* * *

 **KAGE POV**

I calmly stood before the terrified greenhorns as the gravity of the situation began to settle into their minds. I could see the leader's legs trembling in fright. The two girls on either side of her were wide-eyed as they pointed their guns at me. The police should be here in the next five minutes, and I had places to be, so I grabbed my boxes of beignets and had their shadows detain them. Their guns were removed, their limbs were tied up, and their mouths gagged. I waited out the four remaining minutes, ignoring the wriggling forms of the five thugs – three actually, considering two of them were unconscious from breaking the café's window.

When the police arrived, I tossed them all into the backs of the cars and dropped the weapons into evidence bags. The sun was steadily setting as I used my shadow travel to make my way through the Big Easy uninterrupted. When I finally reached St. Louis Cemetery I hurried over to the graves and set a box of beignets by them. I leaned back and looked out at the setting sun through the hanging leaves of the willow tree. _"Its been a busy day in the Big Easy, boys. There's always something going on and since I don't have a mentor like everyone else, I have to work twice as hard to get everything done. It'd be so much easier if you were both here with me. I wish you got to see my hometown. I wish you had the chance to see Mardi Gras, Strawberry Festival, Jazz Fest, and we were_ _ **so close**_ _to freedom, but I guess fate had other plans,"_ I sighed tiredly, weathering through the memory of what put them here. _"If you were here, Rei, you'd probably already own your own restaurant and Kai, you would probably be the best music teacher that the world has ever seen. You'd be proud to know that Kent was able to take such great care of me, but when he d – passed… I absorbed his shadow. I don't know what that mean but it makes me remember that story I heard a street performer tell before we met."_ My shoulders sagged as the memories of them weighed on my shoulders. _"I just miss you so much._ "

I laid out onto my back as the stars started popping out against the night sky. I idly began to trace out the constellations with my eyes and eventually drifted into a deep sleep under the protective leaves of the willow.

I woke to Shadow carrying on his head as he traveled through the Void. _"Shadow?"_ I inquired sleepily.

" _ **Mistress! Your team is in trouble! They are being attacked by two models of the Tornado android!"**_ he exclaimed. _**"The clone told me to find you."**_ My sleep haze fell away as I processed that information.

" _What the hell are we waiting for?! Haul ass!"_ I ordered as I stood up on Shadow's head and pointed forward.

" _ **Yes Mistress!"**_

* * *

When we arrived, I found that everyone was unconscious. I quickly contacted the League and left a message using the encrypted message board they set up for me. My stomach was in my throat as I checked everyone's vitals and felt it drop back when I found that they were still alive. Kaldur and M'gann were mildly dehydrated, but they would be all right once they had enough water. Kaldur would be the easiest to deal with, so I tossed his arm over my shoulder and carefully dragged him over to the water in the bay area. He was a lot heavier than I thought he was, but then again, his body probably needs to be dense to survive living so deep in the ocean. I let his body float on the surface before slowly pushing him down.

Slowly his eyes fluttered open and immediately after, they widened in alarm. I feel no guilt in being amused to see him flounder around in his own element as he tried to make sense of where he was. Seeing that he would be alright, I got out of the water and moved to take care of the rest of my team mates. Superboy and Kid were melted into some kind of metal structure, and everyone else was sprawled out on the floor. I decided to get to work on Superboy and Kid but instead of the laser that was lying between them, I asked Shadow to pull the metal off with his teeth and claws. He caught them on his body when they fell out of their prisons. It was at that moment that the Justice League rushed through the Zeta Tubes.

"What happened here?" Superman demanded.

" **I don't know** ," I signed, as I began tapping at Connor's cheek before letting out a deep sigh. I really didn't want to do this but if it'll wake him up…

 **SMACK!**

" _OW! FUCK!"_ the clone shot up clutching his cheek as he sent me an annoyed glare, before his eyes widened in what I believe is realization. Unfortunately, the rest of the League heard him curse and they're kind of sticklers for that kind of thing.

" **You were knocked out,"** I explained once his attention switched from Superman's scolding gaze to my gloved hands when he saw me signing.

Superman managed to wake Artemis up, and when he asked her what happened, she exploded, "What happened? The Reds happened! Tornado and his – wait! Where are they?"

"Gone," Robin answered gravely, "all three of them. Gone." Everyone took turns explaining what happened. Apparently while I was in New Orleans taking care of business, Red Tornado's crazy siblings decided to drop in for a visit and trash the entire fucking cave, nearly killing, Connor, Wally, Kaldur, and M'gann in the process. Each android had an elemental theme just like Tornado. The female android could control fire, and the male could control water. They ambushed those previously mentioned, imprisoning Kaldur and M'gann in a fire cage and melting Wally and Connor into that metal and steadily raising the water level in the cave. Sphere wasn't able to help them because it was lodged into solid concrete. When Robin and Artemis arrived they were chased around before they came up with a plan to use a homemade EMP to disable the androids.

However, Tornado arrived soon after and attacked them, suffocating them by literally stealing the air from their lungs. This sounded fishy to me, because when I first started hearing shadows, Tornado's shadow told me that his loyalty towards the League and Team were unwavering due to his programing and his own genuine feeling of protectiveness towards us. I initially expected his shadow to have no emotion in its voice like most inanimate objects, but it actually emoted like that of a human or animals. Tornado was more or less a metal human with emotions that he expressed differently than flesh humans, but his weakness was the programming us of his body. Maybe one of the androids managed to reprogram Tornado before he attacked. I mean that isn't all that farfetched considering the first thing we faced as a team was a Matryoshka android that wanted to capture said android. The threat never left, but we simply forgot about it, which was very careless on our part.

Batman gave Kaldur and I a look that clearly stated that we would talk about this, but sent us home to rest first. I left Shadow in the Cave to take care of everyone in case the androids returned. This did nothing to quell the feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach because I knew that we had to tell the team about the mole, and it won't be pretty. That night, I slinked into me and Roy's apartment, tossed my mask onto the coffee table, and plopped down onto the couch with an exasperated groan.

* * *

 **STAR CITY**

 **SEPTEMBER 23, 05:40 EDT**

This morning I found myself cocooned on the couch just as a weight was settling on my back. I groaned and shifted around, causing the person sitting on me to leap off me with a frightened yelp. I poked my head out of my cocoon to see Roy pointing his bow at me while bowl of cereal was overturned on the coffee table letting the milk to drip on the white carpet. I narrowed my eyes at my roommate for making the mess, not having enough sugar in my system to deal with this. He sighed in relief when he realized it was me, and lowered the weapon.

"What is it with you and cocoons?" he grumbled as he started cleaning up his mess.

I wiggled around to get my arms out, **"It feels like a giant hug."**

Roy scoffed and pulled me out of my blanket cocoon into his chest, "If you needed one, you could've asked." I gladly returned the gesture, enjoying the warmth radiating off his body. It was comforting to say the least. Despite Roy's tough exterior, he's really nice when you get to know him. He's been there for me through a lot and I wouldn't be where I am now without his or Kent's support. Hell, **they're** the ones who encouraged me to become a hero, and I appreciate it every day I spend with the team. Although, I'm not sure how long the team will last when they find out.

At that thought, I dug my face into Roy's chest with a groan that sounded vaguely like, "no."

Roy raised a brow at my behavior, "What's up with you?"

I raised my arms up between us, **"Kaldur and I might have to explain to the Team that we knew about there being a mole and never told them."**

Roy snorted in amusement at my misery, "Welp, sucks to be you. I'm just patrolling today."

I let out an even louder grown as I leaned back in his arms, nearly folded over completely in half over them, **"I hate you** _ **so much**_ **right now."**

With that he hefted me over his shoulder and literally tossed me into my room. "Go get dressed! Bats said he's got a mission for you guys." Fine, but you're not getting any cupcakes tonight.

When I arrived aT the cave, Green Lantern, Captain Atom, J'onn, and Superman were getting the cave back together. Shadow was the first to greet me as I took the traditional entrance instead of the Zeta Tubes. The second was Sphere, who I pat affectionately as Shadow carried me around on his head. I hugged J'onn as I passed by him and noticed that he was checking the Cave's computer system. According to the notification left in the Tardis, Zeta Tube teleportation to and from the Cave is shut down until they make sure everything is in order.

My team members were gathered around a table set up near the Zeta Tube entrance with Olly and Dinah, brooding over their defeat at the hands of Red Tornado. I greeted Olly with side hug, ignoring Dinah's glare, as he set down a bowl of pretzels in front of Wally. Connor, the only other person standing wasn't paying attention, instead staring intensely at Kaldur and Batman who were having what seemed to be a serious conversation.

"What we want are answers," Robin exclaimed, "about Red Tornado and his siblings." Alright, what did I miss?

"Exactly! Leave the bowl," Wally agreed while preventing Olly from taking away the bowl. I snatched a few pretzels while the speedster wasn't looking because I just realized that I forgot to eat breakfast again. My attention was diverted to Batman when he called me over. I sighed as Shadow slowly carried me over, sensing my reluctance to have this conversation with hearing range of a Kryptonian. Really Kaldur? Did you forget that Connor has super human hearing?

"During a Taipei mission with Red Arrow," Kaldur began, "Sportsmaster revealed the possibility of a mole within the team. In light of last night's attack, Tornado would appear to be the traitor, though whether he betrayed us willingly or was preprogrammed is still –"

" _YOU KNEW?!"_

Well shit.

I nearly fell off Shadow's head with how quickly he moved out of the way of the clone as he grabbed Kaldur by his shirt with a deep scowl. "That android and his maniac family nearly killed M'gann and I don't even want to _think_ about what they would've done to Kage!" As touched as I am that Conner was concerned for me, I know that this won't end well.

"Connor! What are you doing?!" M'gann asked in alarm.

Connor snarled at our leader, "Kaldur knew we had a traitor among us and said _nothing!"_

"You _knew_?!"

"You didn't tell _us_?!"

I admire Kaldur for not backing down from the narrowed gazes from all of our friends in order to calmly explain the situation, "I sought to protect the team from –"

"Protect the team from _what_ ," if only they would let him explain, "valuable information that might've saved our lives?"

"You almost _died!"_ Connor repeated, trying to get M'gann to see his distress at the event.

Batman looked down at me with a pointed stare, and I reluctantly nodded, not wanting to be pulled into the line of fire. However, its my job as second-in-command to keep everyone in order.

I coated my foot in a couple layers of darkness before crashing it down into the concrete below me, creating a knee deep crater in the floor. Everyone looked up in alarm at the sudden act. **"Are you finished or do you need a few minutes to calm the fuck down?"**

Connor stared at me in disbelief as he released Kaldur, "How are you so calm about this?! This entire situation could've been avoided if we knew!"

" **I'm calm because I knew, but that's not the point. You're letting your anger cloud your judgment –"**

"So what?! I shouldn't be angry?!" he snarled, no doubt feeling betrayed by my admittance.

" **You have every right to be angry! I'm just saying that you need to see this objectively,"** I answered in slight frustration, not wanting to take his bait.

Connor's eyes hardened as he opened his mouth what would no doubt be a biting remark, but Batman stepped, "Enough, with Red Tornado…missing, the Team will now be overseen by rotating supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift." I glanced at the tall muscular man who walked up at Batman's introduction, and narrowed my eyes in confusion. His shadow's base form is that of a kid no older than ten, but the person standing before me is a full-grown man. That doesn't make any sense!

"I look forward to hanging with you guys," he even uses slang! However, my teammates weren't aware of the walking paradox due to the turmoil within our ranks. He received an unimpressed stare from everyone before Connor returned his attention to Kaldur.

"After I'm done dismantling Red Tornado, you and I are gonna –"

It looks like Batman thinks that its time shut this shit down, "Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League. That makes him a League responsibility. _You will_ leave it to us." Connor narrowed his eyes at the Dark Knight, but didn't argue as Batman continued. "I have another mission for this team," with that a picture of a newspaper appeared with the headling being "Gorilla Trades Bananas for Bullets."

"Gotham Mayor attacked by guerilla gorilla," Kid scoffed. M'gann linked us up and Connor wasted no time saying what was on his mind.

" _Was this the_ only thing _he could find to distract us?"_

"Batman _please_ tell me you're not sending us on this _joke_ of a wild ape chase!" okay now their over stepping their bounds. Batman doesn't joke around about missions and he sure as hell doesn't do shit without a valid reason. Thinking that the mission was meant as a distraction is being extremely self-centered when in reality this is simply the older hero being professional about the situation. They should be lucky that he didn't restrict us from missions until we got our shit together, which is what I honestly preferred.

"I _never_ joke about the mission," Batman stated clearly. Robin seemed to see that he was crossing lines and bowed his head as if he'd been properly scolded. "I've checked the sources. I've studied the patterns. Mayor Hill's encounter was only the latest in a series of incidents. Aqualad, Kage, you and your team will depart for India and check this out."

I folded my arms across my chest when everyone walked passed us to enter the Bioship. Wally paused to glare at us, and sneered, "Your team."

I clicked my tongue at him in irritation before putting a hand on Kaldur's shoulder to get his attention, **"You did the right thing. They're just being unprofessional, not wanting to listen to your reasons even though they should trust the judgement of the person they elected as leader."**

"It sounds like you speak from experience," Kaldur sighed as his shoulder sagged tiredly.

I shrugged as we started following our fragmented team, **"I do. I've been in your position before, and I know its not fun."**

"Is this why you do not wish to be team leader?" he inquired with a deep seated interest.

" **Pretty much."**

"Out of curiosity, what ever happened to your team? Why are you not with them now?"

The gravestones under the willow tree flashed through my mind and I grit my teeth as anger bubbled to the surface of my mind. With shaking hands, I signed, **"They died."** Not wanting to continue the discussion, I walked faster and headed toward the Bioship full of angered teens. Sphere tried to get on the ship, but Connor curtly dismissed it, and apparently Captain Marvel is coming with us.

When Robin asked as much, and Marvel replied optimistically, "Sure! We'll have a blast!"

"Translation, he blames for Red Fiasco and doesn't trust us," at that moment Kaldur and I neared them, and they glared at us with deeply rooted betrayal.

"It's a big club," Kid scowled before the pair stepped into the alien ship.

* * *

 **NORTHERN INDIA**

 **SEPTEMER 23, 21:36 IST**

I spent the entire trip surrounded by thick tension, I tried playing my music to keep from snapping at all of them, but that only served to slightly loosen the coiled muscles in my back and arms. I find that listening to music that fits my mood helps me calm down by resonating with the mood of the song.

We came to the drop area, Robin and Artemis left the ship without a word, leaving everyone else to wait for the ship to land while they scouted the area. "All clear," Robin reported.

"Switch to stealth and we'll review mission parameters," Aqualad ordered.

However, the rest of the team were intent on being defiant, "Parameter? We don't need no stinking parameters." Oh he did _not_ just use ghetto grammar! Kage's about to smack a bitch.

"It's recon, we know what to do," Robin added before walking away with Kid. I'm having none of that.

"Kid! Robin!" Aqualad implored.

Robin never let him finish, "We started this team because the Justice League was keeping secrets from _us!_ "

"Or did you forget that like you forgot to tell us about the mole," Kid sneered in agreement as they tried to run off.

I grabbed them by the arms and pulled back into the clearing. "What do _you_ want?"

" **This is unprofessional. We're on a mission and you're splitting up without a single goddamn plan or even setting up communications. Get your heads out your asses before you get yourselves killed,"** the pair frowned in annoyance but continued on their way, completely ignoring me.

Next, Superboy grabbed Miss Martian by the arm, "Come on, I'll keep you safe." M'gann jerked her arm away from her boyfriend and glared up at him and they seemed to have a private telepathic conversation. The poor clone seemed to be at a loss, "I just want to protect you." She should at least appreciate the good intention. However Artemis stuck her nose in their business.

"Like Aqualad protected us. I'm not sure your protection or your patronizing is good for our health," and with that we lost Artemis and Miss M. I really hate it when someone just walks into someone else's conversation and adds their opinion where it isn't needed. In this moment she became the feminatzi best friend who jumped into an argument between her friend and her boyfriend.

Superboy looked down with a forlorn expression before he turned an enraged glare on us, "Why didn't you stop them? You're supposed to be in charge."

Aqualad tried to salvage the situation, "I am –" but Superboy raised a hand and leapt away.

Captain Marvel finally spoke up with a very good point, "Um…Did I miss the part where you actually said what the plan was?" Poor Kaldur let out a tired sigh and I pat him on the shoulder to let him know that I was still there as he led us off in a random direction. We soon came upon a smattering of animal tracks. I crouched down to take a closer look at the tracks. They were deeper than a normal gorilla's tracks, as if it were holding something heavy.

"I guess this is where Mayor Hill's monkey business went down," oh my God, how can he even say that with a serious face. "So, at least we've confirmed his story right? Aqualad?"

I looked up to see the Atlantean absently walking forward before turning back to the older(?) hero. "My apologies Captain. I am plagued by doubts, perhaps I was wrong to –" he looked down in shame. I stood up and cuffed Kaldur around the head. He grunted in pain and looked up to me in mild annoyance, "What was that for?"

" **You're a leader Aqualad, act like it. You had a tough call to make and you did what you thought was best. You can't afford to dwell on the what ifs right now. You can doubt yourself later, right now you need to take charge,"** I answered bluntly. That seemed to boost his confidence a little but, the moment was ruined by a loud sound that gradually got louder and made the ground quake. Suddenly, a monstrous looking elephant busted through the tree line.

Captain Marvel pushed it back a little by punching it in the face, but the elephant shrugged the blow off and tossed him aside. I stood back to back with Aqualad as more elephants came thundering through the trees, however, before I could react, one picked me up and tossed me away. I barely heard him call out for me as I flew through the air. I'm not ashamed to admit that I almost shit myself. I groaned in pain when I hit a particularly thick tree. I could feel my spine snapping in various places as my body wrapped around the curve of its trunk.

Great, now I have to wait for my spine to reassemble itself, but until then, I'm a sitting duck. I felt like cursing the heavens when I heard a deep growl echo through the clearing. I blinked in surprise when an Arctic fox on steroids broke through the undergrowth and snarled at me. Hold the fuck up!

1\. Why the fuck is there an Arctic fox in Northern India?

2\. Why is it on steroids?

3\. Who in their right mind would bring an animal accustomed to extremely cold temperatures to a fucking _jungle?_

4\. Why does the collar around its neck look like the ones they use in Belle Reve?

The fox slowly closed in on me, baring its teeth. It took me a second to realize the answers to my second. Judging by its abnormal size and exposed muscle, it must be on Cobra-Venom. I growled back at it, goading it into attacking me. It took the bait and lunged at my exposed throat, but I pushed one arm into its mouth to keep it at bay and wrapped my other hand around the collar, careful not to hurt the fox, and pulled, easily shredding the metal with my bladed fingers.

The moment I stripped it of its collar, it blinked at me in confusion before releasing my arm. It backed away from me and warily regarded my temporarily crippled form. I was shocked when it slowly approached me and sniffed at the hair I had stuffed into my hood before licking at my face. I let out a throaty chuckle and slowly raised a hand, pausing to let it investigate the appendage, before running my digits through the soft locks.

* * *

 **MEANWHILE WITH KALDUR AND CAPTAIN MARVEL**

 **KALDUR POV**

Captain Marvel and I have just finished removing the elephants collars and I decided that it was about time to contact my absent team member. Hopefully Kage can make a sound that would reassure me that she is not injured. "Team. Report status," I cringed at the squeaking mess of noise that answered. "Comm is down, and Miss Martian failed to establish a telepathic link before we split up," I growled in irritation.

"Actually, _you_ let everyone split up before communications were set," Captain Marvel corrected.

I gestured wildly in frustration, "They would not listen!"

Marvel surprisingly smiled at me, "I guess, but back at the Cave, Batman stopped everyone from arguing with one word and Kage didn't even need to speak."

"Because Batman," I sighed at my weak argument, "is Batman, and Kage was once the leader of her own team. She knows how to handle this situation better than I do."

Marvel chuckled, no doubt at the truth behind the Batman comment, "Hey, you don't have to tell me. I don't know about Kage, but when I first joined the League, all he did was boss me around and its hard not to take it personally, but I never disobeyed an order and that's probably what kept me alive."

"Batman takes command," I mused as I processed the words of wisdom bestowed upon me. "He has to for the good of the League. Thank you for helping me understand."

"Hey, wisdom of Solomon," Marvel stated, pointing to his temple.

* * *

 **KAGE POV**

" **Aqualad, Kage, can either of you here me?"** I heard Miss M ask through the com link, although I don't know how she expects me to answer.

" **I can hear you Miss Martian, but I have been separated from Kage,"** I heard Aqualad reply. My spine was about half way fixed, but I still couldn't feel my legs and this adorable ball of fluff wasn't helping by sniffing at various parts of my body and somehow finding its way into my hoodie. It poked its head out under mine licked my cheek.

" **Artemis and I were attacked by animals wearing inhibitor collars like those used on convicts at Belle Reve."**

" **Cool, a tiger! I'll be right back!"**

" **Captain –"** okay, I don't know what's happening on my Atlantean friend's end, but I hope everything's alright. I turned myself over and growled in annoyance when the rest of my spine started cracking and breaking, extending my recovery time, and taking away the use of my arms. Well isn't that just fan-tucking-fastic. Fortunately my furry friend was able to wiggle his way onto my back when I collapsed.

I felt the familiar tingling sensation that usually came with M'gann's mental links, _"Link established."_

I could feel a headache coming on when I felt the combined ire of the entire team, _"Should he_ _ **really**_ _be giving us orders and should_ _ **you**_ _be following this?"_

" _Listen, please,"_ Kaldur pleaded, but his words fell on deaf ears.

" _Guys,"_ I tried to get their attention.

" _Oh good, Aqualad and Kage's voices in my head, I_ _ **so**_ _missed that."_

" _Hey guys! KF and I were attacked by giant vultures, but of course since we're moles you two probably think we attacked ourselves,"_ laying it on a little thick guys.

" _Guuuuuys,"_ I tried again.

" _If they did, they wouldn't tell you,"_ Artemis added unhelpfully.

M'gann was surprisingly staying out of this mess to get a hold of Connor, _"Superboy, are you online or just pouting?"_

" _Busy. Call back later,"_ I don't even want to know.

" _What gets me is how nonchalant they are about not telling us,"_ Kid continued to rant.

" _They should be chalant. Way chalant. Extremely chalant!"_

" _How can we be a team if he doesn't trust us with his secrets?"_

I growled in anger at the hypocritical words spewing from Artemis's mind. _"Hold on a goddamn fucking minute bitch!"_ I snarled, silencing everyone with my thunderous voice echoing through the link. _"I'll be damned if I let you spout this load of bullshit. We all have our secrets and we all have our reasons for keeping them. Our personal secrets should never mix with the ones we keep on the job. I understand you being pissed about the latter, but you're a hypocrite if you honestly believe we should divulge all our deepest darkest secrets, privacy be damned, just because you're pissed at us for not telling you something that came from an unreliable source!"_

" _What about you Miss Cloak and Dagger?"_ Robin asked condescendingly. _"We barely know anything about you! You hide behind that stupid mask and for all we know,_ _ **you**_ _could be the mole, and everything you've ever told us could probably be either a lie or an act. I bet you didn't even care about Nelson and was using him to have a place to stay. Is that what you're doing with Red Arrow too?"_

OH **HELL** NO! I could feel my powers becoming unstable as I sensed out where everyone was and ordered the shadows to spike out, but stop just at their necks. I could see my skin flashing from pitch black to ghostly white, as if my body was fighting to decide whether or not to become that which I control. _**"If I wanted to kill you. You'd all be dead. I don't need living bodies to get information. If you**_ _ever_ _ **doubt my loyalty to the old man or Red, I'll show you just what type of monster you're fucking with, boy,"**_ my mental voice didn't even sound like my own anymore.

" _ENOUGH!"_ Kaldur, the only person - besides Connor - I didn't send a clone after, growled out in irritation. _"Captain Marvel has been captured and we must act as a_ _ **team**_ _to save him."_

Kid gave a derisive snort in defiance, _"Under_ _ **your**_ _leader ship? I don't think so."_

" _This is not up for debate,"_ I knew Kaldur could take control, but I've never heard him sound so forceful. It's kind of hot – wait no! You guys didn't read that, it never happened! I only see him as a friend and leader nothing more! I can admit something he does is hot and still be his friend. _"You all chose us to lead. When the mission is over if you wish to select a new leader I will happily step down, but until that time_ _ **I**_ _am in command here."_

There was a moment of intense silence through the link and I decided to break the tension, _"Er, Kaldur, not that I'm not happy that you're finally taking charge, but we have a small problem. That elephant threw me into a very thick tree and it kind of snapped my spine in a few places. I'm literally lying on the ground, paralyzed from the neck down."_

" _How the hell is that a_ _ **small problem?!**_ _"_ Robin demanded in disbelief.

" _Calm down, I'll be fine. I can still get to you, but you're going to have to stash me away somewhere until my spine is finished,"_ I explained calmly. Kaldur reluctantly agreed and gave a location for us to gather before M'gann ended the link. I laid my cheek on the cool ground and wondered how I was to go about doing this without destroying my hoodie, but sighed when I realized that there was no way around it. I focused on the darkest depths of my body and the black liquid pumping through my veins before focusing it into two points on my back. I was actually pretty happy that I couldn't feely skin bursting open as my blood shot out, ripping through my hoodie, to solidify in the form of a pair of bat wings. I waited for the fox to leave my tattered hoodie to start flapping. I couldn't exactly enjoy the sensation of flight considering I was hanging limply while my wings worked extra hard to carry my dead weight, leaving the fox to watch me go.

When I finally caught sight of my teammates, my concentration wavered as the blood loss started to get to me. I dropped like a rock and landed in a heap in the center of the clearing. I stared up at the night sky as felt the rest of my spine break. Well shit, I just can't win today. "You broke the rest of your spine, didn't you?" Robin deadpanned. I ignored him and turned my gaze on Kaldur who gently lifted me up and carried me to lie next to a boulder. "Why didn't you just use Shadow?"

I raised a brow at the Boy Wonder, despite his inability to see it, and looked down at my very broken body before looking back up at the Gotham hero. Kaldur seemed to understand what I wanted and smirked, "Allow me." He punched the shorter boy's shoulder. M'gann linked us up and I began to explain.

" _At the moment, my energy is primarily focused on healing, meaning that in order to not go into cardiac arrest, I'd have to bring his entire body here. I know you're smart enough to know how that wouldn't work,"_ I snapped.

" _What is this stuff?"_ Artemis scrunched her face up in disgust. I narrowed my eyes and found that they were all splattered with black dots.

" _That's most likely my blood."_

" _You're bleeding too!?"_ KF threw his hands up in exasperation. I sighed and explained to them the whole blood wings thing. When they're gone, the wounds close up, but I still suffer from the effects of blood loss. Of course, they're still made of liquid, so once I lose my hold on them they spill out onto the ground as the only evidence that the wings ever existed. Everyone seemed to be mildly disturbed by my admission, but I told them to get over it and take care of the mission.

They were hesitant to leave me behind but did upon my insistence, leaving me to my boredom as I listened to the pieces of my spine snap back into place and melded together. My haunches were metaphorically raised when I heard rustling in the underbrush only to find that it was my furry companion. The fox warily approached me and sniffed at my masked face before curling itself around my head. Well, at least I'm not alone.

By the time I gained full use of my hands, I began to think about my favorite anime characters to keep my mind from wandering to dark places. This one character named Gaara had this neat ability to make an eye out of sand and actually see with it by covering his own. I took my mask off and jokingly closed my right eye as I covered it. When I opened that eye, I was shocked to find that I could see my body. I turned my head from left to right and nearly jumped when I watched it happen through my right eye. Carefully, I leaned my head back until I could see myself looking at the eyeball floating a few feet away. I took a deep breath to keep from freaking out but looking through the perspective of the eyeball, I removed my hand to find that my right eye was missing, leaving a misty black socket where it once was.

That's going to take some getting used to.

The fox eyed the misty socket curiously before trying to make various attempts to lick it. I chuckled in amusement calmed by the creature as I pushed its muzzle away from my face because it felt weird when it licked there. I returned my gaze on the eyeball while absently scratching the fox behind its ears.

Can it move?

I imagined the eye moving around and it fluidly bobbed around, like I envisioned, although I wasn't prepared for the dizziness that accompanied the action. I could feel my stitches pull as a smirk tugged at the corners of my lips. Now I only have one question.

How the hell am I supposed to put it back?

In the time it took for me to fully examine my new ability, my spine had fully healed and I was slowly regaining feeling in my feet. I pushed myself into a sitting position, allowing the fox to curl up in my lap as I crossed my tingling legs with my hands. I carefully beckoned my eye to come forward and it slowly floated into my hand. I shuddered at the feel of both my eyeball and the phantom sensation in my eye socket. It was unsettling to see that it was staring unblinkingly up at me as I tried to get it to return to its home. As soon as I finished that thought, my eye dissolved into the same black mist that seeped from my misty socket and flowed into the hole. I flinched when the socket began to fill and my sight returned to normal in my right eye. I blinked a couple of times and rolled my eye around to make sure that nothing was wrong, but it was as if it had never left its place.

I had to close my eyes when the fox, which had once again found his way into my hoodie, started licking my chin, as if demanding my attention. I put a hand over its muzzle and tucked it back into my hoodie as I rose to my feet. I could feel its paws digging into my hoodie and stomach as it tried to get settled into its new position. I reached into a shadow and pulled out a spare mask as I contacted the team, _"Alright guys, my spine's fixed, I'm full of pent up aggression, and I'm not in the mood for bullshit. There better be something to fight because I'm not as forgiving and understanding as Kaldur when I'm pissed."_

I could feel a healthy dose of fear emanating from some of my teammates through the mind link. Surprisingly, Kaldur's dark chuckle echoed through the link, _"Fortunately, we are still fighting a laser machine-gun wielding gorilla. Superboy is performing admirably, but your assistance would be appreciated."_

I could feel my own dark smirk tugging at my stitches as the Atlantean sent me the coordinates through the mental link and leaped through a shadow, ignoring the fox's yelp as I rose up in front of the giant gorilla that was about to punch Superboy and grabbed its fist with my hands, careful to angle my body away from it to keep the fox safe. It's eyes widened in shock as I flipped it over my shoulder and stood on its back, holding its tree trunk arms behind its back in such a position that if it tried to knock me off, then its shoulders would be dislocated. It roared in pain as it tried to buck me off, successfully dislocating one of its shoulders.

"No Mala," I turned my head to finally notice The Brain standing not to far away from the gorilla that was apparently named Mala, "this will not be our waterloo." The machine that carried around the man's brain began to transform into a very threatening position. "Au revoir mes amies."

Kid shouted for everyone to get down and I felt someone tackle me off of the gorilla. Suddenly the lights went off and flashed back on, allowing me to see Aqualad hovering over me. He was so close that I could feel his labored breaths fanning over my neck as he slumped into it in relief. Although right after, he stiffened and leapt off of me, incoherently babbling before taking a deep breath and holding a hand out to me. "Are you alright?" he asked with a small smile. I still had a lot of unresolved anger, but other than that, I was fine, so I answered with a nod.

"Wait, that big weapon thing was… a light switch?" Kid asked in disbelief. I exchanged a look with Aqualad and Captain Marvel. **"So what now?"**

It took a while, but we managed to remove all the collars from the CobraVenom animals. Captain Marvel, Aqualad, and I had set up two lines in front of the B]ioship. In the first line, Kaldur was removing collars and in the second line, I was tending to any wounds that the animals sustained during the mission. "If you do not mind my asking, how do you know how to treat these animals?"

I used the mental link to answer him while I continued to check on a giant crocodile who, according to Captain Marvel, swallowed one of Artemis's arrows, so I had to reach into the thing's throat to safely dislodge it without harming the croc. _"Remember when I said I graduated college already?"_

"Yes."

Gotcha you dirty bitch! I finally wrapped my fingers around the arrow and slowly pulled it out, careful not to trigger the poor croc's gag reflex. _"Well I majored in veterinary medicine. I have a DVM and a PhD. You wouldn't believe how many hoops Kent and I had to jump through to set up secret classes and graduation."_ I rubbed the croc's back gently as it hissed gratefully at having the uncomfortable object expelled from its body. I handed it over to a very disgusted Artemis. My last patient was the huge white wolf that stood by Superboy. I beckoned it forward and waited patiently for the large thing to walk towards me. It sat directly in front of me and regarded me warily as I held my hand out to it. It ignored my hand and started sniffing at my hair before licking my cheek. I took that for its approval and started running my hands through its fur to check for cuts and bruises that it no doubt earned in its scuffle with the clone. I found some and treated them earning me some appreciative licks from the wolf. When I finished, I rubbed its head, delighting in the fact that it leaned into my touch as I packed up my supplies. I joined Captain Marvel in seeing off his tiger friend whom he'd named Mr. Tawny before accompanying the wolf back to Connor's side. "The rest of the pack is gone. What are you still doing here?" he asked as he gave the wolf affectionate rubs.

"I think he wants to stay with you," M'gann giggled in amusement.

Connor looked up at me in excitement, and I found myself momentarily shocked by the fact that he still saw me as a sibling despite the information I withheld from him, but it melted away into as close to a warm smile as I could get at the childish hope and wonder lighting up his face. "Can I keep it?" he asked.

The wolf looked up at me and pushed his ears back as it whimpered. I never thought I'd be getting the puppy dog eyes from a giant ass wolf neither did I think that I would fall for said puppy dog eyes, but add those big golden eyes to Connor's big blues and I couldn't bring myself to say no. I slumped my shoulders and nodded but made it clear that I'd have to give it a full check up when we get home. With nothing left to do, I entered the Bioship, completely ignoring a certain boy wonder that stood in the middle of the ramp. I paused when I heard him talking to Kaldur and asking why we kept the mole a secret. I took a deep satisfaction in the team's reaction toward the fact that Sportsmaster was the source of the mole rumor.

"Kage and I suspected that he was attempting to divide the team using false information," he answered coolly.

"And given how this mission went, he nearly succeeded, but you both had to consider it might be true," Robin added regretfully as realization seemed to set in.

"As leaders we did, in which case we did not wish to alert the traitor."

"I hate to say it, but it makes sense," Robin said with a small smirk.

"I am still prepared to step down," the Atlantean began.

"All in favor of keeping Aqualad as our leader?" Kid asked jovially as he raised his own hand. Everyone soon followed and Kaldur gave them a small smile.

Captain Marvel clapped him on the shoulder and shook his hand, "I guess its unanimous. See you tomorrow."

Kaldur's eyes widened in shock, "You're not coming back with us?"

"Nope," he answered simply, "gotta fly."

It was in his absence that I drew everyone's attention to me. **"I'm stepping down."**

"What?" Kaldur asked breathlessly. "Why?"

" **I refuse to help lead a team that would rather lash out at their teammates instead of completing the mission. The matter had to be settled, but not in the middle of a potentially dangerous situation,"** I added seriously, earning shocked and slightly offended looks from the rest of my team.

"We got out just fine didn't we?" Artemis retorted.

" **Yes, but you also failed to establish communications or a coherent plan. Any of you could have died and no one would have known until the mission was over. Not to mention while you were off drowning in your angst, any of the animals in this jungle could have easily picked you off one by one,"** I admonished, and they had the good sense to look ashamed. I turned my glare onto Robin who flinched under my mask's unwavering gaze, **"Don't even get me started on the number of lines you crossed Boy Wonder."**

Kaldur approached me with a pleading expression, "Please reconsider, my friend."

I rolled my shoulders back and shook my head, **"I'm sorry, but I refuse to be responsible in the event that something goes horribly wrong. I'll still be on the team and my advice is available whenever you need it, but I won't lead this team."** With that, I climbed into the Bioship and settled into my seat, pulling my headphones and blasting my music to drown out the memories of people long gone. I jumped when the fox poked its head out of my hoodie and started licking my face again. I'd completely forgotten that it was even there. It must have fallen asleep at some point. It blinked at it's new surroundings and took in the new people around us. However when it caught sight of Connor's canine friend, aptly named Wolf, it yapped a greeting before climbing onto my shoulders and curling around my neck.

The ride home was silent aside from the occasional yip from the excitable who insisted on being close to me. I nearly tripped over the thing when we disembarked from the Bioship. I don't know how Roy will take having another mouth to feed, but at least it wasn't like that one time I brought home an injured bear. "Kage wait."

Goddamnit.

Against my better judgement, I paused and allowed Robin to catch up with me. He stood in front of me with a frown as he stared up at my masked face. "I'm sorry. What I said to you was completely uncalled for and I was out of line," he gazed up at me most likely with the hope that I would forgive him.

Too bad I'm not in the forgiving mood.

" **I accept your apology,"** his face lit up, **"but I don't forgive you."** His joy fell to shocked dismay as I brushed passed him towards the Zeta Tubes with the fox in tow.

* * *

 **3** **rd** **POV**

Kage was stargazing atop her and Roy's apartment building. Unfortunately, the bright lights of the city didn't allow for many stars to be seen, but the action itself was relaxing. She heard the door to the stairwell leading to the roof open, but didn't move when she heard booted feet approaching her. She heard the concrete crunch as Roy laid his head on her stomach to join her in the activity. "You mind telling me why there's a fox lying down in my spot," the ginger asked, glaring at said fox whom was curled atop Kage's thighs.

" **His name is Cas."**

Roy sat up to send his little sister a deadpanned stare, "You've been binge watching Supernatural again, haven't you?"

" **Maybe."**

Roy punched the ravenette's shoulder, "We're supposed to be watching it together. How the hell am I supposed to catch up when you keep watching ahead?"

" **I couldn't resist. Sam Winchester is too sexy to postpone,"** Kage explained hurriedly.

"You better not spoil it for me, you little shit," Roy growled, but there was no real heat behind it. The fell into a companionable silence before Roy broke it once more. "I heard you're not co-leader anymore." Kage heaved a deep sigh, knowing that this conversation was going to happen eventually as she sat up to face her sibling.

" **Who told you?"**

"Oddly enough, it was Su – I mean _Connor_ ," Roy replied, stumbling over the clone's hero name.

Kage honestly expected either Kaldur or Kid to talk to Roy. Connor likes to settle issues on his own terms, so she thought he would try to convince her when he saw her next. She told him her reasons for stepping down and Roy took a moment to digest her words. **"If they continue as they are now, then they'll die."**

The ginger nodded in agreement with the mute, "You're right, they'll die, but that's because they don't know what you do."

" **The League is supposed to teach them –"**

"But they won't. They'd coddle us 'till we're pushing ninety if it were up to them. They trained us to face the horrors of the world, but they still hide us away from it like children," Kage let out a grunt of begrudging agreement. "That's kind of why I pushed you to join the team in the first place. You know what its like out there, and that makes you their best chance of survival. They have the skills, just not the experience."

Kage's hands were still as she processed what she was just told before her shoulders sagged in defeat, **"Fine I'll stay on the team, but I'll be damned if I go easy on any of them."**

"Speaking of the team, Kaldur told me what happened between you and Robin."

" **I accepted his apology,"** Kage signed in an attempt to get of this conversation.

"But did you forgive him?" Roy asked with a pointed look, knowing full well that the stitch mouth knew the difference. "I'm not saying you should because you have every right not to. Hell, I'd be the same way if he accused me of never caring for you, Oliver, or Dinah. I just want to know if he has a chance at getting off your shit list."

Kage tilted her head to the side in thought as she absently ran her fingers through Cas's soft fur. The adorable thing yawned and snuggled further into her touch. **"He** _ **can**_ **get off the list the question is will he work to do so?"**

Roy sent the smaller teen a knowing smirk, "He will. He just needs some sense knocked into him, and I've got that covered."

* * *

 **Alright guys! This has been a long chapter for me, not to mention I had to re-write it because the first draft didn't suit my tastes. I honestly like this new draft and the tension present in the team.**

 **ON TO THE NEXT ONE!**

 **Thank you to…**

 **LITTLE RED FOXX**

 **angel2u**

 **psychicgirl32**

 **Oreo Kayla**

 **Beloved Butterfly**

 **lordhades17**

 **Queenylime21**

 **Ijustdon'tcare132**

 **SoAverage**

 **KizuNii**

 **Kakaski**

 **WinterChild7**

 **Pepper101**

 **StarPup**

 **Rewoop**

 **Nightingalephoenix**

 **Raven's Paradise**

 **cara8967**

 **DyDremer**

 **Kyuubi Koku**

 **Ronne911**

 **bookaddict616**

 **Blooddoll1**

 **blaze424**

 **DippedinVinegar**

 **Ichig0-0Rose**

 **DragonsFairy24**

 **LightWhisper67**

 **Wizardsfantasy**

 **iforth**

 **LittlestPixie**

 **Thank you all for your love and support and – Le Gasp! I'VE GOT OVER 100 FAVS AND FOLLOWS! I'M SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW! WOOO!**

 **Ahem, excuse me I was just really excited. Any who, thanks again for all your support and I can't wait for the next chapter. You'll love it.**


	13. Chapter 13:Heart to Heart

**Hey guys! I'm back again with another chapter of Battle Scars! I honestly have no idea what to say and so I won't say anything else unless I'm answering reviews and writing story.**

 **Natailie(Guest): We will get to see Kage's past and I can't wait for season 2 as well. Garfield will be fun to write. She will indeed lose control over her powers. Hell, I intended for her to start losing control much sooner than last chapter. Also remember, she's paired with Kaldur – shhhhh don't tell anybody!**

 **TheApatheticRoseofCalamity: Robin doesn't get my pity because he went too far. He may be immature, but he also knows that there are certain things you just don't use in an argument with someone no matter how angry you are.**

 **Halloween Witch: Kage needs to teach them a lot, and they'll finally get to see how Kage trains every day. It won't be pretty.**

 **chyanne200: Your feeling was right!**

 **EirinnofMyth: Do yourself a favor and start looking for websites that let you watch it for free. Also, here's a virtual beignet.**

 **guisniperman: In that case carry on.**

 **pyrojack25: It was only a matter of time.**

 **CasAteDeansPie: I've been meaning to catch up with the series myself.**

 **SoAverage: I have long sleeves, so it'll take a while for me to get everything out of them.**

 **KizuNii: The next chapter is being released right noooooooow**

 **Nightingale agent of the dark: The Scarab would probably feel threatened whenever she is near because she can quite literally sever the Scarab from Jaime or kill them both without so much as blinking.**

 **Scarlet Lupin: Your wish is my command dear reader.**

 **nerd(Guest): I'm flattered and I can now see your review quite clearly!**

 **angel2u: Yes. Yes he did.**

 **bunnygirl2203: Never stop reading stories!**

 **Guest: Whoa! Calm down! You need to breathe!**

 **piperw142: I will be updating today Merry Christmas!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN YOUNG JUSTICE OR ITS CHARACTERS!**

* * *

 **SALEM**

 **SEPTEMBER 25, 7:45 EDT**

"What are we doing here again?" Wally whined as the team gathered around what they assumed was the entrance to the Tower of Fate.

Kaldur sighed, secretly trying to cover his own yawn, as he replied, "Kage has invited us to train with her today."

"Why did it have to be so early?" Robin didn't bother to cover his yawn as he stretched out.

"Kage has informed me that on her training days, she spends nearly the entire day training and testing her abilities. Considering that we are not exactly in her good graces we do not get to pick when we join her," the Atlantean sent the Boy Wonder a pointed look. Robin had the decency to look ashamed. Without further comment, Kaldur turned to knock on the door, only to see that Conner, Megan, and Artemis were across from them.

"What are you guys doing? The door's over here," Kaldur flushed in embarrassment before joining the clone on the other side, careful not to run into the invisible structure. Once they were together, the clone lightly knocked on the invisible door and waited. To their surprise, it wasn't Kage who came to the door, but Red Arrow. He gave everyone a disgruntled frown before opening the door wider to allow the team into the tower.

He crossed his arms and scowled at them, Robin in particular, "Alright scrubs, Kage is in the middle of a session. I'll lead you to the Tower's training room, but don't touch anything, don't look at anything, and don't you fucking dare wander off because I won't look for you." Immediately after that, a door appeared in front of the redhead and he opened it to reveal an expansive weight room. They could hear ominous bangs coming from the door directly across from them.

"What's going on in there?" Artemis asked, nearly jumping out of her skin when an explosion rocked the foundation of the Tower.

Roy didn't so much as blink at the commotion as he led them to the observation room. "That's Kage. She's getting really into it today," he noted offhandedly. The archer stood at the control panel and pressed the button that raised the blinds. There they saw Kage and someone else locked in a very brutal fight. The gender of the person couldn't be identified because they didn't exactly look human. They were huge, easily towering over the tallest person in the justice league. It had long silver hair and a handsome human face with golden eyes. That is where the human similarities ended. It had two horns curving together out of the sides of its head and spikes of armor along its shoulders and upper arms. Its hands would be better described as claws. Its nails glinted in the light of the room and it wore golden breastplates and a red cape around its waist over its ripped trousers.

They watched in horror as the beast grabbed Kage by the head and shoved it through the ground, leaving everything from the neck down visible to her spectators. They knelt over the mute's body, watching in amusement as she tried to wiggle her head out, laughing when she slumped against the ground. However its laughter ended when Kage's back contorted to allow her legs to wrap around its neck and tossed it neck deep into the ground behind her.

The team didn't know what to make of what they just saw, but they all looked at Red Arrow in shock when he let out a snort of laughter. "Why the hell are you laughing?! She could suffocate!" M'gann demanded in a rare show of rage.

The redhead barely spared her a glance as he watched Kage and the Beast childishly kicking each other while trying to pull their heads out of the ground. "Calm down, they're always like this when they spar. Last time they were stuck in the ceiling, but I better get in there if we ever want to get this thing started. Everyone jumped back when the floor opened up below Red's feet and he abruptly dropped, screaming when it happened to them as well. They all landed in a pile next to Roy who knelt calmly over Kage. "Can you guys go one day without getting your heads stuck somewhere?" Both trapped people flipped the redhead off before continuing to wiggle around to get their heads out the ground.

Unfortunately or fortunately for Kaldur, depending on how you see it, his face was directly behind Kage as she was wriggling around. He felt his face burning as he watched the girl writhe. He was internally screaming in both agony and joy as the object of his affections tempted him. It was pure torture, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to move.

"Alright Kage, you know the drill," redhead holding his hands out expectantly. With a muffled grunt of effort, she flipped her body over and landed her feet in her housemate's hands. With the new position, the archer was easily able to pull the young woman out. Kage rubbed her head and picked up her fallen mask to replace it on her face. She gently pushed Roy aside to do the same with the beast. They groaned and grunted lightly when Kage fell and sat on it. By that point, the Team had untangled themselves from each other and the beast turned its amber gaze on them, causing them to tense up.

"Who're the runts?" it said with a deep, gruff masculine voice.

"Galian, meet Kage's teammates, Kaldur, Connor, Meghan, Robin, Wally, and Bitchface," Roy introduced casually.

Artemis glared at the redhead, "My **name** is Artemis you dick!"

"Oh would you look at that, I don't care."

Wally scratched his head as he held a hand over his stomach, "Yo Kage what's for breakfast, I'm starving?" Red, Kage, and Galian shared a look before breaking down into hysterical laughter.

"They honestly think you're going to feed them!" Galian bellowed jovially. "That's the best joke I've heard all day!"

When Kage calmed down she managed to sign, **"The only breakfast you'll have is whatever you ate before you got here."**

Wally hunched his shoulders and whined, "Aw what? I told you we should've eaten before we came!"

Kaldur, who was still recovering from his heart's latest attempt to leave his chest, was still staring at Kage intensely, though the mute was oblivious to his affections. Galian wasn't so blind, noticing the way the Atlantean stared at his friend. His mind was filled with sadistic thoughts as he squeezed her around the middle with a face splitting grin and stood up with Kage hanging from his arms like a cat. "I'll be on my way then," he said as he sat her down, "make sure you start them off with the warm ups." Roy let out a dark chuckle as the demonic man disappeared in a vortex of fire, his unsettling laugh echoing through the large room.

The team stared at where the large demon disappeared. It was Conner who came out of his trance first as he face-palmed. "You have the weirdest friends, sis," Roy raised a brow at the term that the clone used to refer to the mute.

Kage chuckled at the pair, **"The same could be said for Kent, but I digress. Follow me."** Just as she finished signing, an ornate blue door appeared next to her. She held it open for her teammates, allowing them to see the room that had mirrors covering every wall and waited for them to walk through. To their surprise, they had an entire wardrobe change as soon as they walked through the door.

Conner was now dressed in a blacks tank top and red and black cargo pants. Megan was wearing a light burgundy and black mid riff with matching pants. Artemis was dressed in a green shirt that exposed her belly, a green vest, and green jeggings with green fingerless gloves on her hands. Wally wore a yellow tank top and orange skinny jeans. Robin wore black yoga pants and a red tank top. Kaldur was in a bright red tank top and white cargo pants.

Roy and Kage didn't even blink at their new outfits. The redheaded archer wore a bright red t-shirt with a black sleeveless hoodie, black cargo pants, and black fingerless gloves. Kage was dressed in a pair of black booty shorts over blue and black striped tights, matching fingerless gloves, and a black midriff that fell off one of her shoulders, revealing her dark blue bra strap.

"Er, Kage," Kaldur said uncomfortably shifting from one foot to the other. The mute turned to him and tilted her head as a gesture for him to continue. "I do not think that these shoes are appropriate for our current activity." Everyone nodded in agreement looking down at the heels on their feet.

Roy crossed his arms and scoffed, "Its part of the exercise, don't complain." He gestured towards Kage to refocus the attention on her.

" **We'll start off with some basic stretches,"** she bent backwards, allowing her back to crack several times as Roy performed the eight-count. Her teammates grudgingly complied, nearly falling over in the heels. They went through more stretches before they got to the hard stuff. Kage pushed Roy to sit in front of her with his legs pressed together in front of him and his hands reaching for his toes. **"Now you're going to have to partner off and take turns sitting in this position with your partner standing behind you."**

* * *

 **KAGE POV**

I watched in amusement as Wally scrambled to partner up with Megan only for her to already be partnered with Connor. He tried to partner up with Robin, but the boy wonder was already sitting in front of Kaldur in the same position as Roy. Both Artemis and Wally cringed as they grudgingly partnered together. Wally copied Roy's position and Artemis stood behind him with her arms crossed and a pout on her face. Once their eyes were on me, I gently began to push down on Roy's back and he grunted with the effort to stretch his fingers beyond his toes. I noticed the evil smirk that slid onto Artemis's face as she nearly shoved Wally down, earning a yelp from the speedster. Robin had already gotten his wrist passed his toes with his forehead nearly touching his knees. Megan ended up sitting on Connor to get him to go further down.

I ran another set of eight-counts in my mind before clapping. Roy switched with me and sat cross-legged on my back. "Alright scrubs, time to switch!" he barked. When Conner saw my position, he freaked out.

"Hey! Get off her!" he snapped.

Roy barely eyed the clone in disinterest, "What's your problem, clone?"

Megan had to use her telekinesis to hold the ravenette back, "My problem?! You're going to break her!"

The redhead scoffed as he hopped off of my back and I stayed folded over myself with part of my arm already passed my toes, "It doesn't really make a difference if I sit there or not. She can do this on her own, I'm just a training weight." Connor growled at the ginger once more before returning to the exercise. However once the stretches were over, Artemis found herself unsatisfied.

"What's the point of all these stretches? There has to be more to your training than this!"

I cocked my head at her, **"Are you quite finished?"** Artemis glared at the mute. **"The point of the stretches is to loosen you up and make you more flexible, and as simple as it is, flexibility can be the deciding factor between life or death for any hero worth their salt. Strength, accuracy, and special abilities mean jack shit if you can't dodge to save your life, but if you want to go straight into sparring then we can but I won't be going easy on you anymore."**

Artemis shivered in fear of what she'd seen Kage do to Galian. "Let's just do the stupid exercises," she grumbled.

I nodded in acceptance, **"Good. Now you can all get up, we're moving on to the fun part of the warm up."** I held my hands out as a portal opened up above me, dropping a boom box into my awaiting arms. I pushed the play button and _What Love Is_ by Mary J. Blidge and Ne-Yo began to echo through the room. Immediately, Roy took my hand and we began to fluidly dance around the room. When we finished, we turned back to our amazed students.

"I hope you paid attention, because you're going to have do it too," Roy said as he crossed his arms.

"What?!" Wally whined. "We can barely stand in these monstrosities, let alone dance."

" **Too bad, you're going to do it,"** I retorted.

"But we don't have enough girls, genius," Artemis deadpanned. I was unimpressed by her excuse as I snapped my fingers and a feminine shadow figure came into existence, bowing to me like a knight would their queen as I mentally gave them an order. _"Partner with Robin, please,"_ she took one look at the boy wonder and let out a hostile hiss that caused him to flinch.

" **Roy, the shadow, and I will take turns dancing with each person of the opposite gender so we can instruct you on the steps. Then you'll do it by yourselves. Got it?"** Robin opened his mouth, but I continued to sign as if I didn't see him, **"Good, Kaldur, you're with me, Robin is with the shadow, and Megan will be dancing with Roy."**

The green skinned girl ducked her head nervously as she wobbled over to Roy. I noticed how Connor didn't seem to like the idea of Roy being that close to his girlfriend. The shadow changed its height to better allow Robin to lead as it approached him. I watched them interact carefully before I heard Kaldur nervously clear his throat. He bowed and held out a hand to me. I chuckled at the awkward gesture and took his hand.

* * *

 **KALDUR POV**

I am almost certain that the Gods are attempting to see how long it will take for my heart to give out. I am a gentleman, but I am not dead. Any man with eyes could see that she was attractive, and the mysterious air around her made her alluring. In a way, she was an open book, but in others, the mask she wore was more than physically present.

I was pulled from my musings when my heart leapt into my throat. Kage's small hand had slipped inside of my own and the other wrapped around my wrist, placing my hand on the small of her back before placing her hand on my shoulder. I struggled to keep my balance in these horrible shoes. How surface world women could stand to wear them was beyond me. She led me through the steps, but made it clear that my role was to lead. Once I got a better understanding of the steps, Kage encouraged me to make the dance my own. Roy restarted the song and went to the side to watch how much progress Kage and I have made. I finally able to keep my balance in the torture devices strapped to my feet as I confidently led Kage through the dance. I added a few parts of my own, twirling her around and out before pulling her back into my chest, dipping my head so that my nose brushed her shoulder. I was slightly disheartened when she pulled away from me with only a single hand keeping us together as she twisted out. As the ending neared, I remembered a dance move that I had seen on the television and decided to try it. She wanted me to make it my own after all. Gathering my courage, I tightened my grip on my partner's hand and dipped her. I was not expecting for Kage to lift her leg to where the bend of her knee was almost resting on my shoulder.

I gulped and slowly straightened her, allowing her to set her foot back onto the floor. I found myself breathing hard as I realized how close we were to one another. I backed away nervously, feeling as though I should say something but unfortunately I was at a loss for words. My friends saved me the trouble with their loud applause and catcalls. I glanced at Kage to see that she gave me an encouraging thumbs up, causing me to blush in embarrassment. I have never been this bold towards anyone, even Tula, but I find that I do not mind it. Reluctantly, I left her side and allowed Connor to take my place.

I felt irrational jealousy take root in me as I watched them dance together despite the fact that I knew they considered each other as siblings. What am I envious of? Do I envy how close they are? No, I want to be close to her in a different way. Is it the way they are comfortable in each other's presence? That feels like part of it, but there is something else as well. I watched them intensely as they stumbled and laughed at their mistakes, appearing to enjoy themselves as Kage walked him through the steps. That's when I realized that they were not afraid to show how they felt towards each other. They were open with their emotions around one another whereas Kage was still very guarded around everyone else despite how open she seemed to be. It might have something to do with her past but I do not wish to press her for answers, for I feel as if it would be invading her privacy.

* * *

 **3** **rd** **POV**

He was pulled from his musings when Kage clapped her hands, gaining everyone's attention. **"Now that you've got those steps down, its time to do a special exercise that Red and I set up for you."** The Team gave Kage wary looks, anxious as to what she thought of considering none of them liked the idea of walking around in high heels let alone dancing in them. One of the mirror walls slid open to another room. They cautiously followed after her only to puzzled by what they found in the next room.

There in the middle of the room was a single shiny silver pole. They noticed that the mirror opposite of them reflected a wall of stereos behind them. Kage whistled to regain their attention. Red Arrow was failing to hold in his snickers as his sister began to sign, **"Our next exercise will be pole dancing."**

Many faces blushed and many voices spluttered incoherently. "What the hell does **this** have to do with fighting!" Robin exploded.

" **Everything,"** the mute replied simply taking pleasure in the Boy Wonder's discomfort. **"Its to get rid of your sense of shame, or at least dampen it."**

Robin opened his mouth in an attempt yell protests, but shut his mouth when Kaldur put a hand on his shoulder and shot him a pointed look. "Can you please explain your method for us to understand?" he asked politely.

Kage was only too happy to explain, none of them able to see the corners of her lips twitching up in a smirk. **"You remember when I got blown up in Atlantis?"**

"Wait – WHAT?!"

The mute continued to sign, completely ignoring Roy and Connor's outbursts when Kaldur nodded, **"You also remember that when I healed, clothes didn't magically reappear on my body. I'm pretty sure that the same could be the same for all of you unless you've been holding out on me. In the event where you're in an intense fight, your clothes will get torn to high hell and you can't afford to be embarrassed about having your skin exposed. Embarrassment is a distraction that your enemies can use to take you down and a lack there of will unnerve and anger your opponent, therefore distracting them."**

"So basically we're going to embarrass ourselves for your amusement," Artemis retorted with her best bitch face.

Roy and Kage exchanged looks and shrugged simultaneously. _**"Pretty much,"**_ they answered in unison.

"It was either you do this or we make you fight in nothing but your underwear," Roy added.

"Why don't you give us a demonstration then? I mean, that's what instructors are supposed to do right?" M'gann asked, sending a sly look towards the mute. Kage nodded easily and held out a fist to Roy, and when he caught on to what she was saying, he did the same. They then engaged in a quick game of rock, papers, scissors with Kage picking rock and Roy, paper. The redhead pat his sister on the back and headed over to the stereo wall as she confidently strutted over to the pole. The intro to Dark Horse began to play prompting Kage to start taking test twirls around the pole. Finally, when the beat dropped, she curled a leg around the pole, following it with the other as she rose up to spin on the pole. She had both hands gently clasped onto the pole and released one to lean back so she could see her teammates. They stared at her in shock, not believing that she actually knew how to pole dance.

Then she began to show off.

She lifted one leg and sat in a vertical split on the pole. Then, she shifted to where she was upside down, still spinning. Then she rose up and started spinning with her body perfectly parallel to the pole. She replaced her hands with her thighs as she gestured to Roy. He nodded and, with a running start, he latched onto the pole directly under Kage, who leapt off and clapped for her friend. Roy was less flexible than Kage, but he was still able to lift himself up with his back to the pole, nearly wrapping his body around it. When he got off the pole, his friends stared at him in shock, not expecting such a provocative display from the stoic archer.

He jumped off the pole and landed in a crouch. When he straightened up, Kage went to stand beside him, **"So, who's going first?"** Wally eagerly volunteered, sending M'gann a suggestive glance as he stepped up. Roy and Kage moved out of the way for whatever he planned to do on the pole.

While the pair was assessing the speedster, Kaldur found himself recovering from the risqué display that Kage made. He couldn't take his eyes off her the moment she started and his body grew warmer with each rotation. He couldn't help but imagine her doing the same for him. He shifted uncomfortably as his problem grew, hoping it wasn't noticeable as he tried to toss the persistent thought. By the time he finally crammed it from the forefront of his mind, it was his turn to go on the pole, with him being the last of the group. His face was flushed, but thankfully his skin was too dark for it to show. He nervously climbed onto the pole and started spinning. His spins weren't as smooth as Roy or Kage's and he slipped many times, increasing his embarrassment. He was completely rigid as he tried to copy what he'd seen Roy do, thinking that it would be easier.

He was wrong.

Kaldur's stomach jumped into his throat when he slipped down the pole and nearly landed on his foot wrong. The room was completely silent as he took deep breaths to calm himself. Then he heard clapping. Craning his neck, Kaldur was able to see Kage clapping for him, and she gave him a thumbs up when she noticed his gaze. He managed to give her a small smile back as Kage made everyone take turns on the pole until they could successfully get on the pole without a blush.

* * *

Kage set her hands on her hips as she took in the exhausted looks on her teammate's faces. They had been practicing until their arms and legs were sore. The team was splayed out on the ground in exhaustion, as she and Roy carefully looked them over. "Pussies," Roy scoffed as a door appeared on the ground next to them before whistling to get their attention. "Get up dipshits! We've got work to do."

He was answered with a cacophony of pained groans as they staggered to their feet and gathered around the door. Kage pulled it open and hopped in with Roy following close behind. The others exchanged tired glances and trailed after their trainers for the day. They found themselves back on the floor sans Robin and Connor, who managed to land on their feet. Wally grumbled something about hating magic as Artemis shoved him off of her. They looked around to find that they were standing in the middle of what seemed to be a hallway full of doors with no foreseeable end. While they basked in the limitless of the area, they failed to notice Kage and Roy were far ahead of them but hurried to catch up when they realized that their guides were missing.

"What is this place?" Kaldur asked curiously as he took in the mass numbers of doors stacked atop one another up to the unseen ceiling.

Kage spun on her heal to face them but continued walking backwards, allowing Roy to take the lead. **"Isn't it obvious? It's the Infinite Hallway. Every door here leads somewhere but there's no guarantee that they lead anywhere safe."**

Wally huffed jokingly, nearly tripping in his heels, "That's not exactly safe for guests."

" **They're never taken here. Many of these doors house creatures that utilize ruthless methods to capture and kill their prey. They won't hesitate if you beg and will take insane pleasure in your screams."**

The Team felt a chill settle upon them. "How do you even feel safe walking through here? Aren't you scared that any of these things could get out at any minute?"

Kage shrugged carelessly as she absently turned her head to look at each distinct door, **"Each room that they reside in is like a prison. They can't get out unless you give them permission to leave the room."** The group was beginning to realize why Roy made it a point to tell them not to touch anything or wander off. Just as Kage finished explaining, they passed a door that was suddenly being violently pounded on from the inside, causing the teens unfamiliar with the layout of the Tower to jump in fright, but that only caused the banging to intensify. Kage and Roy kept walking and the others hesitantly followed.

All except Robin.

He stared at the door in concern as it started bending around its hinges as the creature held within grew more determined to get at the people outside its prison. "Guys," Robin said nervously as he inched closer toward the door, "I think whatever's in there might be trying to get out." He leapt into action when the door nearly came off its hinges and pushed his body against the door. However the moment his fingers brushed the smooth wood, it slammed open, sending him into the opposite wall as something crawled out of the void of the room.

Slowly, a bloody and bruised Batman crawled out of the void, leaving behind a bloody trail as he shakily lifted his head to look into his apprentice's eyes. "R-r-robin, help," he rasped pleadingly as he reached out to the young teen. His fingers nearly touched the trembling boy, but Kaldur jumped in despite Kage and Roy's attempt to warn him.

Batman's gaze was cut off from the boy wonder but turned to a sickeningly evil grin as it's eyes latched onto the Atlantean's. Batman burst into flames and became a raging fire demon that lunged for him while cackling madly. It was knocked off course by Connor's fist to its blazing face. It met Connor's enraged glare and shifted into a pod of some kind with the element symbol "Kr" on the front. His eyes widened in fear as he took a terrified step backwards. The door to the pod slid open and then a man's voice echoed through the hall. "Project Kr, it is time to return home."

"No!" Connor whimpered as he stumbled away from the pod. Chains shot out of the open pod and began to drag the clone into the pod. Kage formed two sets of bows and arrows and handed them to Artemis and Roy as M'gann tossed the pod into a wall, causing it to crack. She floated over the fallen Kryptonian as he and those exposed to the creature trembled in fear.

When the creature caught sight of M'gann, it morphed into a large white creature. It had long spindly arms and legs that were just as long and thin and it had a red X shaped marking on its chest. However, the strangest thing about the creature is that it simply stared into the Martian's caramel brown eyes. Her eyes widened as she froze, never moving and never making a single sound. Her mouth was open as if to scream but not a sound came out.

"Hey ugly!"

Wally started to run circles around the behemoth. He made the fatal mistake of glancing at it before a cage trapped him. His eyes widened in horror as it began to shrink around him. Kage's breath hitched as she materialized two sets of bows and quivers full of arrows before tossing them to the designated archers of the group before forming a throwing knife in her hand.

Artemis drew the creature's attention by using one of the arrows to shoot at the glass of the cage, watching with satisfaction as the arrowhead split open to allow more points to pierce the glass while Kage threw knife after knife into the corners "Leave my friends alone!" she snarled fiercely. Before Kage could send the creature back, a pair of beady eyes met met Artemis's dark brown ones and it surprisingly turned into two people, Sportsmaster and a dark haired woman of Asian decent sitting in a wheelchair. Sportsmaster had a javelin raised in prime stabbing position as the woman called out for Artemis. Sportsmaster cackled wickedly as he brought the piece of sports equipment down on the screaming woman.

Before there could have been bloodshed, Kage punched Sportsmaster in the face. The woman in the wheelchair faded away as Roy notched an arrow, waiting for a clear shot at the shape-shifting creature that the mute was fighting. Her mask firmly covered her face and she never gave the creature a chance to look into her eyes as she continued to assault it. However, her heart sank into her stomach when "Sportsmaster" finally caught her fist and pinned her to the ground beneath him. She viciously struggled to shake him off as he wrapped his hands around her mask and tossed it away, grabbing her head to force her into facing it only for her eyes to be scrunched up in fear of what she'd see. The creature didn't need to have her face it because it already knew her deepest fear.

The team watched in horror as the Sportsmaster melted into two people – teenage boys that grinned wickedly as they picked the mute up and held her between them. They were identical twins with shaggy black hair that fell in their dull, dead amber eyes. One had a scar curving under his right eye while the other had one running though his lips. "What's the matter, Kiki?" the one with the scar under his eye asked in mock concern.

"Don't you want to see us, Imoto?" the other chuckled darkly. "Aren't you happy that we're alive?"

Eye scar leaned into the mute's ear to perform a sly stage whisper, "Or maybe not since you've already replaced us." Kage gave no visible reaction but Roy could tell that she was distressed.

Roy also noticed that his bow's existance was wavering and hurried to notch an arrow, having a clearer shot at the creature now that it had split into two people. He let the arrow fly into the back of the closest twin. They both hissed and glared at the archer but had no chance to meet his eyes as he shot arrow after arrow at it. Each time an arrow came near, the creature backed away, unknowingly being corralled back into its room. Kaldur, noticing this fact, got behind the door and shoved both twins in before slamming the door shut. Looked for Kage and stumbled over to her, pulling her into his arms to comfort her and himself.

He couldn't even bring himself to realize that the mute had wrapped her small arms around him and tightly clenched the back of his shirt as she broke down crying, pressing her face into his chest.

"What the hell was that thing?!" Wally spluttered in a mix of fear and anger.

Kage let go of Kaldur, using one of her hands to lean on his shoulder and the other to grab her mask from the shadow offering it to her, clipping it onto her hip before she began to explain. **"Remember those creatures I told you about?"** she hesitantly continued when they nodded. It took her a while to remember how to properly sign the words with her trembling hands, **"That was a bogart –"**

"Wait, they're real?!" Artemis exclaimed shakily.

" **What Rowling didn't explain was that they feed on your fear. They constantly shove your worst fears in your face until you go insane, die from a heart attack, or kill yourself. After your mind is gone, it will devour your body,"** Kage explained. Everyone paled at her words.

"If that thing kept going…"Robin trailed off.

"It would've eventually killed us all," Roy finished grimly.

"Who were those guys?" Connor asked in concern, carefully watching as Kaldur wrapped an arm around his sibling figure in comfort while Kage bent over and covered her face. "Why did that thing turn into them?" He slowly approached her, reaching out to giver her comfort, but the moment his fingers brushed her skin, she ran. They saw a door open high above her and she leapt up, scrambling in through the bottom of it.

A heavy silence fell over the group as the door slammed behind their teammate. All eyes fell on Roy when he let out a long, tired sigh. The redhead looked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulder. His and Artemis's bows and quivers disappeared in a puff of mist that slid through their fingers. Robin put a hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly.

"Where's she going?" M'gann asked.

"She's going to one of two places: the constellation room or the mind room," they could hear the dread in his voice at the mention of the latter.

"What's wrong with the mind room?" Wally asked curiously.

Roy gave his fellow ginger a deadpanned look. "It's the manifestation of Kage's mind. All her deepest, darkest thoughts, all her memories, all of **her** is in that room. She's almost met her darkest fear, so her mind is the last place she needs to be."

"I'll go find her," Connor bluntly stated. "I can't leave her alone like this. Trust me, its not healthy to hold that stuff in." Without another word, he leapt up and latched onto the door that Kage entered through, clinging to the doorknob as it opened on its own. With an impressive show of acrobatics for someone of his size, the ravenette swung into it and continued on his quest to find Kage.

Robin felt as if this entire situation was his fault. If he had never touched that door, then none of this would have happened. No one would be traumatized from having to face their worst fears and Kage wouldn't be on the verge of a mental breakdown. He was already on thin ice as it was considering he blatantly accused her of using her loved ones to get information on the Justice League and the Team. Hell, according to Wally, she had to watch Kent die and bury him! Robin felt the guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders and desperately wished that he had never said something so hurtful, but despite his feelings, he couldn't help but appreciate how civil the mute was towards him. Had he been in her shoes, he'd repeatedly attack anyone who'd even _think_ that he'd been using Batman.

Connor was extremely worried, so much so that he completely ignored the contents of each and every room he ran through, trying to find Kage. His mind solely focused on finding the mute and nothing more. The Tower tossed many rooms at him, seemingly testing his resolve to find her, but he powered through to the best of his abilities. He and Robin rarely exchanged words in their search and when they did, it was only out of sheer necessity. By the time they reached what felt like the final door, the pair was exhausted beyond belief. The Tower put them through hell with all of its tests and trials, but it all paid off when it presented them with a circular door reminiscent of a porthole. Looking through the glass, they were able to see Kage sitting on a sandy beach with her knees pressed to her chest and her chin resting on her knees.

"There she is," Robin said as he moved to open the door only to be stopped by Connor.

"Wait," he said, "let me go in first. No offense, but I doubt that she really wants to see you right now." Robin wished he could argue about that, but he knew the clone was most likely right, so he moved aside and watched as Connor climbed through the porthole door.

The clone cautiously approached the mute before moving to sit beside her with his legs folded. He stared at her face but noticed that her face was tilted upwards. He followed her gaze and was filled with shock when he saw the constellations dancing around the night sky. He didn't know any of them by name but he could see their glowing figures coming down to float around him and Kage. One constellation, a lion, purred as it nudged its head against Connor's arm, causing the clone to let out a bark of astonished laughter. "This must be the Constellation room," he stated casually. He glanced over at the stitch mouth to see her give a slight nod of confirmation and a silent giggle emanated from her throat as Cas popped up from her other side and started to butt his head against her knees. She acquiesced to the enhanced fox's demand and started to scratch behind his fluffy little ears.

Seeing no other way to broach the subject, Connor decided to go with the direct approach. "Who were those guys?" Kage flinched at the question. She shakily raised her hands, but paused and looked to Connor uncertainly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but you've always listened to my problem so I thought I'd do the same for you," he offered clumsily.

Kage was touched by the sentiment and she began to sign with her trembling hands. **"Their names were Kai and Rei. They were there before everything. Before the team, before my stitches, before my powers, before Kent they were there for me. We were pit against hundreds of other kids of various ages. Everyone out there was out for blood, but the three of us just wanted to survive. Our friendship began on the mutual need for survival but it grew into something deeper, something more. We stopped referring to each other as merely comrades and became family, but those days didn't last. Funny enough, you, Roy, and Chris became like brothers to me, but there's always been this small part of me that feared the possibility that I might be replacing them."** The ravenette pulled out her beaten old pocket watch from under her shirt and presented it to him, opening it to reveal a picture of Kage and the twins.

The twins sat beside her, both clinging to her with their arms wrapped tightly around each of her shoulders and their cheeks pressed against hers. They bore face-splitting grins that were far happier than the ones that the bogart forced upon them. However, the girl in the picture looked nothing like the one sitting beside him. She appeared to be looking up at the camera with curiosity while one of the brothers held it out. Her black curly hair was pulled back in a high ponytail and an open book rested in her lap. She had dark brown skin, darker than Kaldur's and a scar that started on her left cheek and disappeared into her bangs. Connor noted with slight amusement that her eyes were still covered by long curly bangs, but he couldn't bring himself to believe that the girl in the picture was the same as the one sitting beside him. "Is that really you?"

Her only response was a slight nod as she nervously fiddled with Kent's watch. **"My powers turned all the fluids in my body black and paled my skin,"** she gave a short humorless laugh. **"You won't believe how freaked out I was when I realized that I was suddenly white, and then Shadow didn't help by showing up. I literally threw everything within range at him, thinking that he was going to eat me."** Connor wrapped an arm around Kage and pulled her into his side, allowing her to rest her head on her shoulder. **"Kent helped me through a lot of issues that my powers presented. Then he made these bandages to make them easier to manage. Although when I had my bandages on, I couldn't really talk to Shadow. I'm surprised that he agreed to it, but he put my need to understand and control my abilities before his need to communicate with me, and not a day went by where I didn't miss Shadow."** Kage shifted her legs into the same position as Connor and Cas immediately curled into her lap, purring as she absently scratched and rubbed him. Connor glanced towards the door, which surprisingly didn't leak light into the room, and nodded.

Kage stiffened when she heard the porthole creak open, revealing a very restless Robin. She watched him warily as he approached them with his head bowed to avoid her gaze. She frowned in irritation. How the hell were they going to communicate if he wasn't able to see her hands. She clapped her hands once loudly, causing the Boy Wonder to jump in fright.

" **If you're going to talk to me, at least look at me so you can see my reply,"** she snapped, not exactly wanting the Gotham hero around at the moment.

"I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry that I ever accused you of using Roy and Kent. I shouldn't have done that and I understand if you hate me for the rest of my life. I had no right to assume that especially after finding out that the source of the tip was Sportsmaster. We all have our secrets and it'd be hypocritical if I demanded that you give out all your secrets when I don't even talk about my own." Kage narrowed her eyes at the teen gauging the sincerity of his apology.

Robin watched the mute with baited breath, giving Connor a worried look. He tensed when Kage stood up, and despite the mute being a head shorter than him, he genuinely feared her reaction to his apology considering she straight up refused to give him forgiveness the last time he apologized. He felt anxiety take root in his body as Kage approached, feeling like prey being cornered by a predator. He screwed his eyes shut when she slowly reached out a hand to him but gaped in shock when he felt a hand ruffling his hair. Blinking his eyes open, he stared down at Kage to see that she was indeed ruffling his hair with the corners of her lips pulling into a sad smile. **"I'll forgive you this one time, but if you do it again, I'm breaking your arms."** The Boy Wonder wasn't sure whether or not to feel relieved or terrified at the mute's reply. **"Now come one, I none of us have sparred yet, and you should be grateful that I'm nice enough to allow you to take your heels off."**

Connor, who'd been watching the exchange, sighed in relief, "Thank God! I never thought I'd see the day where I'd get blisters on my feet. I'm pretty sure my blisters have blisters." Kage couldn't help but laugh at her newest brother's reply as they all left the constellation room. The mute glanced back at constellations and heard them whispering something in farewell. Her lips twitched up as she waved at them, watching them return to their place in the sky.

* * *

 **HEY GUYS! I'M BACK! Sorry I took so long to update, I think this is one of my longest chapters yet. I always seem to make longer chapters when I right off the top of my head. Anyways lets get straight to my thanks!**

 **Thank you to…**

 **Jujueyeballs**

 **Lordequinox**

 **GEManley**

 **emzD19**

 **Blooddoll1**

 **Kagz419**

 **Astroro**

 **TwixXedlife**

 **Kitsune Barra Hime**

 **Kira007Goddess of Chaos**

 **SuirenAhri**

 **kristenb94**

 **Ashes Floating**

 **HoneyGrl**

 **TheGirlWithTheGlares**

 **Scarlet Lupin**

 **AliasGrace625**

 **Nightlight15**

 **Nightingale agent of the dark**

 **ExploderKing**

 **Marsmiko**

 **termapie**

 **Orange21**

 **Bleeds**

 **theonlyredarrow**

 **Mezzem313**

 **Kaytak1999**

 **insane is normal**

 **navybluebookworm**

 **Blame the Facless**

 **King of Combos**

 **DeadSanto123**

 **SkullByte**

 **bunnygirl2203**

 **silverosprey98**

 **EVILKOALAVILLAIN1920**

 **T-anon4**

 **AureasDraco**

 **Pikachu17**

 **dragonett8723**

 **ApplePixie91**

 **piper142**

 **Neo KizuNii**

 **M glad you're enjoying my story and I hope you continue to feed my muse with your questions and suggestions!**


	14. Chapter 14: Freedom

**HELLO EVERYBODY! This is the HiddenBerzerker coming to you with the fresh new chapter of Battle Scars. I'll jump right into the story right after I'm done with these reviews!**

 **chyanne200 – I love Harry Potter myself but the bogart was just a convenient way of illustrating the team's fears and have them see just how deep Kage's issues tend to run. They're used to her being the fearless co-leader who won't hesitate to put them in their place, but they've never seen her cry or get scared.**

 **Hellfire-Princess – I figured that the only reason a bogart would be considered dangerous is if they somehow killed you while you were wrapped up in your fears.**

 **pyrojack25 – I have no idea what to make of what I just read aside from Kage acting like a cliché anime character. I'll admit to that because she was originally intended for her to be extremely dense when it came to romantic relations. She literally doesn't understand how romantic relationships are supposed to work because she'd never been in one. It was never a big part of her life.**

 **Nightingale agent of the dark – FLUFF FTW!**

 **BLUE AVENGER18 – Thank you!**

 **WolfieLE – You got it!**

 **thatgirl221b – GOOD SHIT! GOOD SHIT! THAT'S SOME GOOD SHIT RIGHT THERE! RIGHT THERE, IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF! I SAY SO! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! RIGHT THERE! RIGHT THERE! RIGHT THERE! WOOOOO! GOOD SHIT! (I'm sorry I just had to!)**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN YOUNG JUSTICE OR ITS CHARACTERS, ONLY MY OC.**

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **OCTOBER 1, 18:13 EDT**

* * *

Kage was sitting in the Cave's training room watching Kaldur and Robin spar against each other with Cas resting in her lap, soaking up the affection she gave him as she rubbed his neck and belly. Right after it ended, Connor and M'gann walked in with Wolf right behind them. She could tell that Robin and Kaldur were whispering something to each other that seemed to cause them to get looks of amusement on their faces. However, when Robin pointed at her she tilted her head in curiosity as Kaldur's cheeks noticeably darkened while he turned his head away from her.

"So if Zatara is our babysitter for the week, why is he still here and why is he eating my snacks!" Wally complained.

Kage having the answer to that question, whistled in order to catch the speedster's attention. **"He's still here because he enjoys our company."**

Wally scoffed skeptically but didn't retort as Batman stormed through the Zeta Tubes. "Computer, Nation News," he ordered as he moved into the center of the room.

The blonde reporter, Kat Grant, appeared on a holographic screen in front of a city scape with debris scattered on the ground. "The inital attack was short-lived, but Metropolis was only granted a short reprieve. Despite the intervention of Superman and the Justice League, there's seems to be no end in sight." The camera panned to an aerial view of the Justice League fighting a giant plant monster.

Kage set Cas aside, gaining the fox's attention due to the abrupt end of his pampering. He followed his master to stand by Connor who found amusement in the fact that while Wolf was around his size, Cas stood as tall as a medium sized dog.

"Should we get out there?" Robin asked in alarm.

Batman turned to face his protégé, "No, the League will soon have the situation under control. That's not why I'm here. According to your intel, Sportsmaster supplied the Cadmus Blockbuster formula to Cobra."

"Who combined it with Bane's Venom to create Cobra Venom," Wally added hurriedly.

Robin caught on this line of thought, "Which the Brain used to create his animal army."

"And upgrade Wolf and Cas," Connor added as the animal's respective companions gave them affection. Cas huffed at the mention of his name

"The Brain also inhibitor collars like the ones in Belle Reve Penitentiary," M'gann said as everything started to sink in.

"Batman is it possible that plant thingy is on Cobra Venom too?" Artemis inquired cautiously.

Batman nodded in approval of their deduction skills, "I had Green Lantern run a spot analysis. The vine's cellulose does contain trace amounts of a Cobra Venom variant."

"These cannot be coincidences," Kaldur stated.

Kage went to stand beside Batman so everyone could see her hands move, **"That's because they most likely aren't. Unrelated criminals are cooperating with each other worldwide."**

"Exactly," Batman said, "it's now clear our enemies have formed some kind of secret society of super villains. The attack on Metropolis is only the beginning."

Robin, who had been typing on a holoboard and pulled up images of more plant creatures in different locations. "You've got that right. Plant creatures have sprouted in Gotham City, Paris, Star City, Taipei –" he was cut off when the screens cut to static.

"Dude," Wally admonished.

"It's not me!" Robin retorted. "Someone's cutting the satellite signal, **all** satellite signals!" He typed frantically in order to fix the problem only for Joker's face to appear on all the present screens.

He knocked on the glass of his camera before he spoke. "Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem to bring you this important announcement," he pulled out a knife and shifted the camera so that more villains could be seen. "From the Injustice League."

Count Vertigo, Poison Ivy, Atomic Skull, Black Atom, Ultra-Humanite, and –

 _ **Wotan,**_ Kage clenched her fists at her sides as she let out a thunderous growl that startled everyone save for Batman who knew the cause for her unusual amount of aggression.

Count Vertigo stood at the forefront of the group, looking down his nose at the camera, "We are responsible for the attacks on your cities. If you wish to save them, a ransom of 10 billion American dollars is required. Delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit, but the longer your governments wait –"

"The more we get to have our…jollies," the returned to Joker so the world could see his face as he let out a bout of insane cackles while getting closer to the camera. The message seemed to be over until Wotan returned to the screen holding up pair of old black sewing scissors.

"I have a personal message," he said with a malicious grin. "You know who you are and you know what these scissors can do." The team could hear Kage's knuckles popping and see her trembling in uncontrollable rage. Wotan leaned into the camera, "Come and get them, little girl. I will be eagerly awaiting your arrival." Kage gritted her teeth as the video ended, her growls shaking the cave while the shadows on the walls writhed to match their mistress's mood. Batman noticed the black creeping into her skin and stepped around her in order to hide it, shooting a glance at Zatara who was watching the teen with a calculating gaze.

Batman suddenly got a call from Aquaman, "Roger that, Aquaman. The UN will prepare the ransom as a fall back, but it **won't** come to that."

" **You're damned right it won't,"** Kage snarled harshly. Her fury dimmed when she heard Robin rapidly typing on the Holocomputer's keyboard, rewinding the video to fully see the villains from the transmission. He listed them all as red markers encircled their heads.

"Seven heavy hitters," he stated, "probably behind nearly everything and everyone we've faced."

"There's your secret society," Kid said solemnly.

"Not so secret anymore," Artemis muttered.

Aqualad's eyes never strayed from Kage's tense form as he added to their observations, "Perhaps after India, they realized we would deduce the truth and saw no point in hiding any longer."

Kid's eyes lit up with determination and confidence, "Yeah, well that's their mistake. Right now, I say we go kick some plant creature butt."

" _Do plant creatures even have butts?"_ Kage wondered.

M'gann looked to the mute with uncertainty and shrugged, _"I don't think so. At least not on this planet."_

"The Justice League will handle the plants," Batman said, ruining Kid's mood and tearing a surprised glance from the shadow manipulator. "I have a different job for this team."

"Oh man," Wally whined, only to receive a punch in the shoulder from Artemis as Batman continued.

"With the plants attacking so many locations simultaneously, there must be a central control system. Your mission is to destroy it." Zatana's eyes widened in shock as he approached the League's leader.

"You realize what you're **really** asking them to do?"

Batman didn't falter, "They're ready."

"Ready?" Wally asked cluelessly. "Ready for what?" This time Kage smacked upside the head, unable to believe how someone so intelligent could be so dense. "Ow! Not you too!"

"Hello Wally!" Artemis said slowly, as if speaking to a child. "If the big guns are fighting plants who do you think **we'll** be fighting?"

The red head continued to rub his head as he glared at the girls, earning an exasperated sigh from the ravenette. "I don't know I guess we'll – OW!" Kage smacked him again and manipulated the shadows to created large black arrows pointed at the villains displayed on the holo-monitor. "Oooooh."

The mute couldn't help but to facepalm. Zatana sent the Dark Knight a look of concern, "Well Batman, I trust you're correct."

"I trust you can locate the enemy," Batman retorted coolly.

Zatana nodded, noticing the obvious dismissal of his doubt, "Indeed, Wotan's involvement suggests sorcery is part of how the plants are controls. Robin, if you would provide a holomap." The boy's fingers were already flying across the keyboard before Zatana had finished his sentence. "I'll search for signs of concentrated sorcerous activity." The well-dressed sorcerer approached the holographic globe with his hands held toward it. _"Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros."_

Kage was never able to understand how seemingly simple it was to create an incantation. True, she knew from living with Kent that magic expands far beyond mere words but it also baffled her how a spell could merely consist of an entire sentence spoken backwards in another language. It reminded her of what he once told her when he first began to train her powers.

" _Words have power, and since you no longer have the ability to use your words, your actions will have to speak louder."_

She was pulled from her reverie when Zatana grunted in frustration as an error sign appeared on the globe. "Wotan must have created a barrier to cloak his magic. I cannot locate him."

"You may not, but Kage might," Kaldur suggested thoughtfully. Kage's head snapped toward her leader so fast, she felt her neck pop, however this didn't deter her from vigorously shaking her head in denial. "You were able to locate and send shadows to us from half-way across the jungle whilst paralyzed." Kaldur approached her and put his hands on her shoulders to force her to face his confident gaze, "I know you are capable of doing this."

Kage stared into his pale green eyes and heaved a deep sigh, **"I'll try."** Kage turned away and held her hands out, gradually the room grew darker as Shadow rose from the ground and pressed his large head to his mistress's. Kaldur became concerned when Shadow's inky blackness seemed to crawl up her pale skin. She appeared to be absorbing the sentient shadow before she approached the holographic globe. She plunged her hands into it before multiple black tendrils circled the globe before converge on a certain boot shaped state along the Gulf of Mexico.

" **They're in the bayou,"** she signed as Shadow returned to the ground.

"Setting coordinates for the Louisiana Bayou – what the hell?!" Robin said as his search came up with various locations within the state. He looked up at Kage for answers and received a dispassionate shrug in response.

" **Louisiana is full of bayous. Saying Louisiana bayou means jack shit if you're not being specific,"** she replied as she entered the name of the bayou and gained its exact coordinates. **"Gear up and meet up in the Bioship. You have ten minutes,"** knowing the gravity of the situation, no one argued as they obeyed the order.

As soon as the last person was out of sight, Kage's legs gave out as the dark coloring returned to her skin. She was heavily breathing as she watched her shaking hands go between the pale and dark coloring. "You're loosing control," it wasn't a question, Batman knew without a doubt that the stitch mouth was steadily loosing control of her powers.

He nodded to Zatana and the magician reached into his hat, pulling out a familiar roll of gauze that held various runes on them. "I was able to follow Kent Nelson's notes in order to recreate your restraints. You must be careful though. They are no where near as strong as Nelson's original set but they will serve their purpose."

Kage took the roll with a nod of thanks as she staggered to her feet and moved into the communal bathroom. When she returned, her entire body had the gauze wrapped around it. The bandages covered every piece of her skin, and the team noticed when they met up with her at the Bioship. She was leaning against it as Cas ran around the hangar, occasionally stopping by his mistress to bump his head against her leg. Captain Marvel wanted to join the silent teen, but the entire League needed to be seen fighting the plants.

When the team returned to the Bioship, they were wondering why the mute was wearing bandages again. Kaldur was concerned with how closed off she seemed as she leaned against the ship with her arms folded across her chest and her body rigid as a board. **"Let's go,"** she said as she boarded the ship and moved to sit in the pilot's seat.

Kage tilted her head at the duffle bag that he carried but the blonde waved her off with a small, strained smile. Trusting her leader's judgment, she merely nodded as Cas leapt into her lap.

* * *

 **BAYOU BARTHOLOMEW**

 **OCTOBER 1, 18:52 CDT**

The ship was plunged in a tense silence as the team made their last minute preparations for their big mission. "What's in the duffle?" Kid asked, pointing to Aqualad's bag.

The blonde followed the finger. "Plan B," he replied solemnly.

Suddenly, Miss Martian grunted in pain and held her head. "Are you okay?" Superboy asked.

"Dizzy," she answered hesitantly.

Robin regarded the green girl with concern and slight amusement, "Martians get air sick?"

"She does look a little greener than usual," Kid pointed out.

"Not me, her," Miss Martian corrected, redirecting everyone's gaze to Artemis and Kage.

"I feel fine," Artemis said and Kage could only nod in agreement as she focused on flying.

"Not them, the Bioship, she's trying to shield us but I can't figure out what," Kage was having trouble keeping the ship level, she mentally cursed when the ship's camouflage dropped, leaving them exposed to their enemies. Suddenly, something impacted the ship from beneath them, sending them flying into the bayou, skipping across the water like a rock. When the ship finally stopped, very aggressive vines then began to drag it deeper into the water. Black Atom ripped a hole in the roof of the ship, tearing a pained scream from the Martian as she clutched her head in agony. "He's hurting her!"

Superboy leapt into action and lunged for Black Atom, knocking him out of the Bioship. Unfortunately the hole never closed and the ship began to take on water. "No! No way am I drowning three missions in a row!" Artemis pulled out a pair of re-breathers and handed one over to Kid, who gave her a mildly impressed look.

"Wow, er, thanks," he said not expecting for her to offer such a thing.

"M'gann, we need to get out! Open a hatch!" Superboy said in an attempt to get through to hi girlfriend.

The redhead lightly hit her head and said her catch phrase, "Hello Megan, of course!" She grew a set of gills and dove to the bottom of the ship to make an opening. The ship had already filled with the murky water.

" _I can't see anything!"_ Artemis complained.

" _We can,"_ Kage said, noticing how easily Miss Martian was able to navigate through the swamp water. _"Hold onto us! We'll lead you out."_ Immediately after she said that, Kage felt a familiar webbed hand wrap around her bandaged arm. She tilted her head to see that Aqualad, Robin, and Artemis were linked and Kid, Superboy, and Wolf were with Miss Martian. Cas managed to swim within Kage's reach so that she could tuck him under her arm as she darted through the escape hatch. When they reached land, Miss Martian and Kage released their friends to allow them to stand on their own. They could only watch as the Bioship was dragged down by the vines and Kage put an arm around her Martian friend to comfort her.

"She's in shock. She'll need time to recover," she said shakily.

Kage moved her hands to respond, only for them to be bombarded by intense headaches and nausea. Kage's ears were ringing as she hunched over. She tilted her mask up just enough for her to safely loose her supper. "Vertigo!" Kid weakly said as he struggled to fight the villain's powers.

"Count Vertigo to you, peasant," the villain sneered.

Superboy was the first to regain his bearings as he lurched to his feet and ran for the count only to receive a punch in the face from Black Atom. Aqualad was able to use his water bearers to pull water from the bayou and create a continuous wave that washed Count Vertigo away. _"Robin, Miss Martian, disappear! We will keep them busy. You two fulfill the mission objective,"_ he ordered as he helped Kage up, only to be yanked down as she grabbed Black Atom's incoming fist and launched him away, allowing Wolf and Cas to pounce on him. This afforded Robin and Miss Martian just enough time to vanish into the jungle.

They were already gone by the time Atom was able to remove the snarling beasts from his person and throw them at Artemis and Kid Flash. He lunged at them to continue his onslaught only for Kage to kick him into Aqualad's water mace. The fought Atom together, giving their teammates enough time to join in, and it seemed like they were winning, until Count Vertigo surprised them. Making them just vulnerable enough for Atom to retaliate. They systematically ran through each of Kage's teammates until only she was left. She was panting in exhaustion as she brought out her loyal shadow. He easily reached the height of a small skyscraper as her roared a challenge at those who dared to harm his mistress. However, neither of the villains could face his wrath as golden chains of bright light wrapped around the scorpion-like creature. They angrily hissed as the beast screeched in pain.

" _Shadow, no!"_ Kage shouted before those same chains too ensnared her. She let out a muffled scream as they seared her bandages until they made contact with her skin, the smell of burning flesh permeated through the clearing.

"I am glad that you have received my invitation. I found the spell for those chains just for you," Wotan purred mockingly as he circled the fallen teen. Kage trembled in pain and anger(mostly anger) as she glared daggers at the sorcerer. "I hope you like them."

The chains tightened around Kage and dragged her down onto her knees as they brightened, further burning the mute teen. She hissed in pain and curled in on herself as she banished Shadow to spare him any more pain. Wotan constructed a golden cage that acted like her chains and burned through her clothing to reach her skin. She would have been howling in pain if she could open her mouth.

Wotan carried her and her team away with Count Vertigo and Black Atom relishing in the mute's pain. Kage stewed in her anger, patiently regaining her strength while they relished in their temporary victory.

* * *

 **KALDUR POV**

My stomach churned in dread as I woke to the stench of burnt flesh. My eyes fluttered open and I was met with the sight of a golden cage that contained my teammates and I. "Are you certain this will hold them?" I heard Count Vertigo ask.

"The cage is impenetrable, and I would not count on the shadow child rescuing them any time soon," Wotan's voice explained the magic cage. However, it took me a moment to realize that the "shadow child" the sorcerer was referring to was Kage. I pushed myself onto my hands and knees and craned my neck to find my friend. As ringing in my ears faded, I was able to hear a loud sizzling and pained whimpers and I turned my head to find a figure curled in itself in the far corner of the cage. Their body was chained down by bright gold chains that made smoke appear from wherever it made contact with them. It was the sight of the white smiling mask that made my blood run cold as I stumbled over to my second in command.

"Kage!" I said breathlessly as my trembling hands hovered over her quivering body. She twitched at her name and I hesitantly rolled her over to better assess the extent of her injury. The chains wrapped tightly around her body, pressing her arms to her sides and keeping her feet together. I could see a gold collar clasped around her neck that seemed to burn the most aggressively. My heart felt as though it was lodged in my throat when I realized that she was not healing. I pushed her hair back and place them on both sides of her masked face, "Kage, can you hear me?"

Her breaths were ragged with exhaustion, but she managed to give me a weak nod before moaning in pain as her binding burned her even more. I assessed the chains as a spark of hope grew within me, "Wotan is not the only one trained in the mystic arts."

I gently pushed my fingers between the chains along Kage's body, careful not to jostle them and cause her even more pain as I activated my markings attempted to break the chains. Alas, I only managed to get myself thrown back into Superboy by the backlash. Wotan scoffed at my attempt, "Please Atlantean, do not pretend you are in my league."

Superboy groaned as his eyes fluttered open but they soon widened when he saw Kage's state. I sent him a sympathetic glance as I returned to Kage's side and shifted her around to where I sat with my back against the cage with the mute leaning hers against my chest with my arms wrapped around her. Hopefully this position will keep the chains from hurting her too much. "What's wrong with her?" Superboy demanded worriedly.

"These chains seem to be burning her flesh and forcing her into a state where she cannot use her powers. I do not know how long she can take this," I answered honestly. We were steadily approaching our adversaries' base when Wotan was knocked out of the sky by a flash of red, destroying our cage, but not Kage's chains. I held tight her body as we fell, certain that my dense skin would be able to take the fall better than she could in her current state.

I was able to get my feet under me to land on my feet, but my grip faltered when she started to writhe in what I can only assume was pain. She strained against her binds, causing the chains to groan and sizzle against her skin even more in a last ditch effort to contain her before they finally broke. I was relieved to see her free from the damnable restraints but she was different.

Her clothes were nothing but rags that barely clung to her body, but they cover everything that needed to be as she ripped off her collar, much to my relief since I did not want to put the idea of her fighting naked into practice. **Ever**. I was most concerned over the third degree burns littering her body oozing her black blood in an almost nightmarish fashion. I blinked in shock when I saw my shadow leak away from my feet and slither over to Kage along with the shadows of my teammates they blackened her skin and the smile of her mask faded away, leaving it slab of blank white porcelain. When our shadows were returned, her skin was still pitch black but she was no longer dripping in blood. Her tattered dark clothing became a bright white, as if she drained the color from their very fabric. The bandages that once covered her head to toe were barely clinging to various parts of her body but they crumbled away in the wind much like they did in the Tower of Fate.

What happened next was like a scene in a horror film. It started with one or two appearing at a time, but it was not long until she was covered in them.

Eyes.

All over Kage's body, eyes of various colors appeared, rolling around in a frenzied fashion. I could no longer recognize my teammate as her body swayed from side to side in an unsettling way. Poison Ivy took advantage of this and approached us with her vines. Artemis and I moved to stand in front of her and reached for our weapons only to find them missing. "I feel naked and not in a fun way," Artemis complained before she glanced back at our transformed friend. "What's wrong with Kage?"

"I do not know, but I am worried," and this was the truth. I had inferred that the bandages were meant to keep her powers in check, but when she lost them the first time there did not seem to be any adverse affects. Now it seems as though she is possessed, but by what I have no clue.

Ivy's vines shot out at us and we readied ourselves to protect Kage, but something else happened. All I saw was a flash of something dark before the dead remains of the vines fell into the shallow water. "My babies!" Ivy cried, glaring down at Kage as she easily dodged a retaliating vine without losing momentum and leapt onto the villain, knocking her out with a flying roundhouse kick. Then the eyes rotate towards Kid, Black Atom, and Count Vertigo. He was running full tilt to them only for him to begin slowing down as Vertigo used his power. She rushed them, pushing through Vertigo's attack despite her eyes rolling dizzily before grabbing Black Atom by his golden sash and hitting Wotan with his hulking body. The count was unconscious upon landing.

Black Atom tried to turn out of Kage's grip only for him to be yanked back towards the mute to be clothes lined. I worried that her arm would be broken by such an attempt only for it to be completely intact while Atom lay sprawled on the ground coughing and hacking to get air back into his lungs. "Kage?" Kid asked in disbelief. "What happened to you?"

She did not reply as she moved onto her next victim, Ultra Humanite. The large ape-man had just gotten through with throwing Wolf, Cas, and Superboy away from him in time for Kage to grab him by the head and bring his down to meet her knee. We could hear the crunch of his nose breaking from where we stood. This was followed by a sharp elbow jab to he back of his head.

Then, in an eerie sort of unity, Kage's eyes turned toward Wotan the sorcerer flinched in fear as creeped toward him slowly. To my surprise, Wotan was frozen in fear, but there was recognition clear in his eyes. He has seen Kage like this before, and he looked like he was genuinely afraid for his life. When Kage reached him, she raised to the tips of her toes, bringing her face close to Wotan's and lifting her mask just enough to expose her lips before I heard the sound of tearing flesh and a haunting screech echoed through the clearing. Wotan's eyes were locked onto her chest, possibly keeping eye contact with the giant red eye that took up the entirety of her chest before he collapsed, quivering in a fearful daze. She replaced her mask but and turned around, to watch something that I could not see.

Poison Ivy managed to return to stare in horror at. "My baby," she croaked in horror, prompting us all to turn and watch as the control plant lit up like a Christmas tree before dying in the explosions caused by Robin's birdarangs.

"Timber," Robin said coldy as he and Miss Martian stood in the aftermath of their destruction. I could see their eyes widening when they landed on Kage. Ivy tried to send vines to harm them, but Miss Martian easily took care of them until a beam of gold suddenly shot her down. I followed the direction that the blast came from to find that we had forgotten bout the Joker and the Atomic Skull.

"Children?" the Joker said. "Children foiled our plan? Inconceivable, unacceptable, retrebutionable!" he roared in anger. "That last one might not be a word so sue me."

Robin leapt down to join us as the other villains rose to their feet for what I assume to be round three. "Kill them," Count Vertigo ordered. "Kill them all."

The atomic skull leapt down from the building shooting lasers left and right, Ultra Humanite closed in on Superboy only for the clone to be taken down by Black Adam, Count Vertigo blasted Artemis with his power, bringing her to her knees, and Wotan managed to exit his daze to shoot Kid with a blast of magic and cast a spell that sent chains shooting out of the muggy water to spread Kage wide. The sizzling chains didn't even seem to bother in her current, if anything they made her seem more terrifying as she strained against them ferociously.

"Enough," he said. Robin sent a pair of birdarangs flying toward him only for the sorcerer to erect a shield to protect himself before striking everyone of us down with a lightning spell. I tried to use my tattoos to absorb the magic, but it was still painful. I managed to stand over Miss Martian to block the lightning aimed at her. I glanced back at Kage to see that her arms had formed into a shield that protected Superboy, Robin, and Kid while they moved to cover Cas and Wolf. I was hoping that it would never come to this, but the situation has become desperate.

It is time for plan B.

* * *

 **KAGE POV**

After Fear and Rage took over, I felt as though I were a suit to be used by my emotions. It terrified and elated me that with the help of my two strongest emotions, I was able to rip my stitches long enough to show Wotan what he made me. I tried on multiple occasions after that to wrestle control away from them. I was relieved that Kaldur was able to block off Wotan's lightning spell as he stood over M'gann as Protective Instinct made a shield out of my arms to protect my friends from the potentially deadly spell. I was just about to head in their direction when I saw Kaldur's duffle bag fall from where I can only assume the Bioship was. Fear became more prominent when we were able to make out the shape of a familiar golden helmet in the Atlantean's hands. My veins became ice as fear began to frazzle my mind and Protective Instinct propelled me forward.

However I was too late.

My fingers had barely brushed Kaldur's arms before I was knocked away in a wave of light. There in my friend's place stood Nabu. My emotions were all over the place as I tried to regain control of my body much to their chagrin.

 _Enough! This is_ _ **my**_ _body and you are_ _ **my**_ _emotions. I will fight with our without you but I_ _ **refuse**_ _to allow you to consume me. In combat, you are my tool so it's time you learned your place!_

What felt like painful hours could have probably been only seconds as I forced myself to remain dominant over my emotions. This was my fight and I refuse to let my emotions cloud my judgment. I felt a weight in my hands and my body felt somewhat lighter as I realized that I held a sword with a massive blade. Along the blade of the sword were the eyes that represented Fear and Rage. Exhaustion washed over me as I collapsed to my knees, using my newfound weapon to keep me upright.

"Wotan," Nabu's voice echoed over Kaldur's, "you are mine." Wotan fired a malevolence spell towards Nabu, but the spirit easily cut through it with a powerful spell called the Heart of Sekhmet that shot a continuous beam of light.

Hey, I may not be able to use magic, but Kent taught me how to recognize them.

The beam pinned Wotan to the dome that housed Ivy's plant and golden chains just like the ones used on me. These were called Ra's Chains. According to Kent's stories, they were used to pull down the sun so that it could be placed within the Egyptian god, Ra's headdress. Which is why they hurt so damn much when used against me. You see the downside to being a walking, talking(kind of) piece of darkness was that my main weakness is light. I'm not talking about a little flashlight or the sun's rays. I'm talking about light energy. It's the only thing that could probably kill me. Nabu being a Lord of Order meant that he had an abundance of light spells that could easily end me. Hell, Nabu used to burn me whenever would touch his helmet, which, understandably made me wary of him.

Wotan managed to break the chains and redirect them at Doctor Fate only for them to be absorbed into his golden ankh. "Wotan has prepared for your return, Doctor." Oh god, now the self-centered prick is talking in the third person again. He shot another malevolence spell at Doctor Fate, shattering the ankh. Nabu merely shook it off and bounced back, but I wasn't sure how much Kaldur's body could take.

I had joined Miss Martian in combating Poison Ivy, using my new sword to cut down the vines that the villain tried to use to impale the Martian. "I can't see you Martian, but perhaps I can enjoy your little friend's screams," she growled as she refocused her attention to me. I worried for M'gann when Count Vertigo came to Ivy's aid. I can fight with a scattered brain, but the redhead can't. Although I don't know how much help I'll be in my current state.

"Then perhaps I can be of some assistance," M'gann fell right of the air, landing on my back as I continued to fight off the killer plants. I grunted at the added weight but was surprised to find that she didn't weigh that much.

While I protected M'gann, I was able to make out Kid distracting Vertigo and Artemis leaping to kick him into Poison Ivy. She used the piece of green cloth that the speedster tore away from Vertigo's cape to use as an arm sling. I barely got to them in time to catch Wolf and Ultra Humanite's incoming fist with an axe kick. I wasn't sure how long we could keep this up on our own, but fortunately we didn't have too.

The League arrived to aid us with Zatara knocking Wotan out of the sky with a spell that I couldn't quite catch. The villains were backed into a corner as they were surrounded by League members. "It's over," Batman stated, leaving no room for disagreement.

They all raised their arms in surrender. "There will be another day," Vertigo vowed.

"Another day?" Joker demanded, growing more hysterical than usual. "ANOTHER DAY? There won't be another day! Not for any of us!" He broke out in maniacal laughter as he twitched his fingers like a puppet master, moving the plants we once thought unresponsive to his gloves' signals. Vines rose from the swamp water, popping bright red spores that emitted an ominous green gas.

"Joker Venom spores! Don't breathe!" Batman ordered as he punched out the insane clown. I was prepared to erect a shield but Nabu beat me to it.

"Fear not," he proclaimed, flying above the cloud of gas as he produced a golden ankh that sucked in the Joker Venom spores. "Fate has intervened." Nabu's pride in his actions sickened me. I know that he approves of Kaldur's body as a vessel and that means the chances of him being released are abysmal. No matter how much Kent would tell me that Nabu was good, I could only ever think of him as a parasite. He had all the power and magic in the world but he doesn't have a physical body, so he has to use someone else's in order to carry out his deeds. He didn't even have any reservations about taking years of someone's life, robbing them of any chance of making themselves happy because the Lord of Order would always be in control. Putting on the Helmet of Fate is the ultimate sacrifice because once the helmets on, it's pretty much there for life, and it'd take a deal with the devil to get the helmet off.

When Nabu's eyes landed on me, he lowered himself to the ground and approached me, either not caring or not seeing how angry I was with him and my leader. "It has been –"

The good doctor couldn't finish his sentence before my armored fist made contact with his helmet, sending him flying into the swamp water. I could feel blood running down my chin as I forced my stitched lips apart with a roar of pain. My words came out as more of a growl than actual words since the movement of my lips in such a manner has been foreign to me for a long time. _**"Let him go,"**_ the sword that clung to my hip glared at the Lord of Order but familiar arms wrapping around my neck stopped me from further denting the golden helmet. I craned my neck to see Kent's faceless shadow keeping me in its hold and shaking its head before gently pulling me off of Nabu. I tensed when his hands raised, ready for a fight if need be, but to my surprise, they went directly to the helmet pulling it off, and freeing Kaldur.

I stood there in shock as the blonde gently held the helmet in front of him. I was mystified by the fact that Nabu actually let him go. "He let you go?" Kid asked in shock, voicing my thoughts.

"He almost did not," Kaldur replied without taking his eyes off of me, "but Kent was most helpful." He's inside the helmet! What about Inza? What about reuniting with her? He put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a warm smile, "He wanted me to tell you that before he passed. He left severed his shadow from his body so that if you were ever to need him, then he would always be present." I turned to the shadow who dipped its head and merged back into my own shadow.

I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, and the next thing I knew my arms were thrown around Kaldur's waist, pulling him into a tight hug as I let my relieved sobs loose. I can be mad at him later, right now, I'm just happy that I haven't lost another person in my life. Slowly I felt his arms wrap around me and one of his hands curled around my head, holding me closer to him.

* * *

 **KALDUR POV**

My heart was racing as I clung to Kage. Being within Doctor Fate was a terrifying experience. I was quite literally a hair's breath away from having my life signed off to an immortal entity that possessed my body, and would have been absolutely powerless to stop it. I would have wasted my life as Nabu's meat suit. I almost lost the chance to be with my friends again. I almost missed the chance to ever tell Kage how I feel. I would never have lived a full life, and this frightened me to no end. I let my chin rest atop Kage's head and relished the comfort that I was still able to take in her presence.

When we finally released each other I watched in slight amusement as Kage lifted her mask a little to wipe her tears away with her arm, but to my surprise the sutures that once hindered her speech were gone. I cupped her face and leaned in to get a better look, "Your stitches…"

I watched her slowly reach up to touch her freed lips. My lips twitched up when her hands began to tremble and she clumsily mouthed one word.

Free.

And for the first time since meeting her, I saw Kage bear an unbound grin of complete elation.

* * *

 **Hey everybody! This is your favorite Berzerker speaking and I'd like to start off by apologizing for taking so long to update. I've taken on more stories and revisited ones that I've already started. Don't worry though. Kage will always be my top priority because she was my first actual fanfiction idea.**

 **Now on to the next one.**

 **Thank you to…**

 **piper142**

 **Neo KizuNii**

 **Silent Song of Twilight**

 **InuKailani**

 **evermore0228**

 **FoxSilver**

 **animefreakv23**

 **WolfieLE**

 **GHydra**

 **LoveSeasons**

 **dontlivetoimpressothers**

 **dragonnett8723**

 **RandomAnonymousFanGirl**

 **Evil Irish Pixie**

 **0lympia**

 **Night'sPotential**

 **queen caffeine**

 **SennaCousland**

 **macwag5**

 **MrBrian19931**


	15. Chapter 15: First Date

**Hey everybody! Bezzy here with the newest installment of the Battle Scars series but I must admit that I'd thought that I'd get this deep into Kage's life. I thought you'd all hate my stories and me but you've all proven me wrong. This is the one time that I'm ecstatic to be so wrong. Thank you all for sticking with me this long and thank you for supporting me for as long as you have.**

 **Okay, chick flick moment over. Onto the reviews!**

 **WolfieLE: I recognize all of followers and reviewers. Also, I'd never dream of abandoning a story because I absolutely hate it when an author drops a really good one and doesn't finish it.**

 **BLUE AVENGER18: Thank you.**

 **suntan140: She's free but the struggle doesn't end there.**

 **piperw142: I'm working as fast as I can.**

 **TheApatheticRoseofCalamity: I'm glad that you enjoy the quality of my work.**

 **Noctis Corvus: A new reader! Yay!**

 **ItsJustMe-94: It's about damn time if you ask me.**

 **CasAteDeansPie: I never thought that my story was worth rereading. I guess I'm wrong again!**

 **Hellfire-Princess: I rewatch the episodes for the quotes. I'm sure there's a website for their quotes so don't give up hope. Also happy birthday and thanks for the free cake! In return, I shall use my Hogwarts magic to gift you with a far better story than mine. It's called To Live Again and its in the Hobbit fandom. It's about a woman named Clara who died and went to Middle Earth!**

 **silverosprey98: Here's the next installment coming right up.**

 **Guest: No need to wait any longer!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN YOUNG JUSTICE OR ANY DC CHARACTERS. I ONLY OWN MY OC KAGE.**

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **OCTOBER 2 12:00 EDT**

 **3** **RD** **POV**

"She's been at it for hours," M'gann whispered worriedly as she watched a certain dark haired teen furiously fighting a dark copy of herself, not trusting herself to take out her frustrations on anyone else. There was no mercy found between the clone and the original while they were clawing, biting, strangling, and breaking each other's bones, earning various flinches and cringes from Connor who could hear the skin tearing and the bones breaking.

"Has anyone tried to stop her?" Kaldur hissed as he joined the rest of the team in watching the ravenette, cringing when the real Kage dislocated her shoulder to deliver a decisive kick to her clone's neck before casually popping it back into place and leapt back into action.

Artemis scoffed in disbelief, "And get in the middle of _that_? I don't think so."

"I do not think it is wise for this to continue," Kaldur stated as he moved to walk towards the conflict, only to be jerked back by Robin and Wally.

"Trust me Kaldur, you should let her cool her off before you try to talk to her," Robin warned.

He shook off their restricting hands and faced the battlefield with grim determination. "I am going to talk to her," his tone brooked no room for argument as he stormed out into the fray.

"You think he'll come back in one piece?" Wally asked worriedly.

Artemis shrugged uncertainly, "Sure he will he's –"

"Axe!" Connor shouted before everyone ducked to dodge a battle-axe that lodged into the wall behind him.

"Dead," the blonde finished.

"I'll order some flowers for the funeral," Robin sighed as he left.

The others followed, unable to watch their leader's unavoidable failure in stopping Kage's rampage.

* * *

 **KAGE POV**

" _I apologize child," Martian Manhunter said, "but while your lips, tongue, and vocal chords are fully functional, your vocal chords have not been fully used since you were a child. It will take time for you to be able to speak coherently."_

 _I could practically hear my heart shattering in my chest as I felt tears of frustration gather in my eyes. Nothing is ever that easy is it? I tuned J'onn out as I slid off the examination table of the infirmary, raising my hand to stop anyone from attempting to help me when I slumped against the table. With a heavy silence I skulked out of the room, with my loyal shadows curling around me to hiss their comforts._

" _Hey,"_ _I heard the familiar voice of Rage say as I found myself heading to the training room. I felt an eye open on the palm of my hand and stared into its burning red iris,_ _"Need something to hit?"_

 _I stared at Rage in contemplation,_ _"Fuck it, lets go bitch."_ _I allowed my hand to become black as Rage slithered off of me into a carbon copy of me._

" _On three… One – You fucking bitch!"_ _Rage shrieked as I forewent the count and launched myself at her._

I was in the process of throwing my other axe at Rage, when I felt a hand wrap around my wrist. I tilted my head slightly to see Kaldur giving me a worried look as he stepped into my line of vision. He opened his mouth to speak but I planted my hands on his shoulders and flipped over him to wrap my thighs around her neck, bringing her down with me. I pulled at her hair while she clawed at my thighs.

"Kage, I do not think this is healthy distraction," he said.

I held up a finger, signaling for him to wait a moment before I punched Rage in the face, disorienting her long enough for me to kick her away. **"Do you have any better ideas?"**

I watched him put a hand to his chin in thought with a small smile, "I believe I do."

* * *

 **AIRLINE SKATE CENTER, NEW ORLEANS**

 **OCTOBER 2, 13:30 CDT**

This was definitely unexpected. **"Why are we here?"** I asked curiously as I took in all of the couples skating around the ring.

Kaldur was standing beside me with his hands on his hips and his head tilted in bemusement, "I was unaware that it would be couples' day today."

" **Why are we in Louisiana in the first place? You could have just taken us to a ring in Happy Harbor."**

"I have noticed that you are more comfortable in your home state, so I searched for a skating ring here. This was the only one open at this time," he explained, and I must admit that I was touched by his thoughtfulness. He took me to the skate rentals where we would have to switch out one of our shoes for a pair of roller skates. I guess this was their way of cutting down on theft. We put our remaining shoes in a locker and then I came to my next dilemma.

I've never done this before!

Kaldur was gliding easily on the floor in front of me and beckoned me to join him. I shook my head and sat on one of the benches where he joined me. "What is wrong?"

" **I don't know how to skate,"** I admitted reluctantly.

"So there is something that you can not do," he chuckled in amusement as he stood once more and I readied myself to sit through this entire trip, but he surprised me by taking a hold of my folded hands. He pulled me to my feet where I wobbled precariously. He caught me around the waist and helped to rebalance me. I couldn't help but to blush at our close proximity before Kaldur brought us closer to the rink.

The moment my wheels touched the polished flooring I was scrambling to keep my balance, holding tight to Kaldur's arms as he gently straightened me out chuckling at my uncharacteristic clumsiness. He tossed an arm over my shoulder and I reciprocated the act as he gently rolled forward, my eyes never leaving his feet as he tried to show me how to skate. He gently placed a finger under my chin to tilt it back up, "Do not watch my feet. You have to find your own rhythm, but you may hold onto me until you do you."

We rolled around like that with me stumbling around like an idiot, but all together, it was fun. I slowly began to skate by myself and couldn't help the giant smile that ached my face. I turned to look at Kaldur only to see that he was missing. I felt a finger tap my shoulder and I turned to find Kaldur gliding backwards in front of me. I crossed my arms and turned away with a pout. Show off.

This was a mistake on my part.

You see when I crossed my arms, I straightened my and threw my balance completely off. Thus, I landed flat on my ass. Luckily the other couples were too caught up in each other to notice my folly. Kaldur on the other hand…

"Pft…"

At least he's trying to hold it in. I poked my tongue out at him as he helped me back up, "Perhaps we should take a break." I nodded my agreement as I rubbed my aching ass while he led me off the rink towards a bench. Once he was sure that I was settled into my seat, he sat beside me and let out a small sigh. He gave me a meaningful look as he nudged my shoulder with his own. "So, are you enjoying yourself?"

I allowed myself to crack a small smile, **"Despite the unbearable pain in my ass, yes. The only thing that could make this any better is some food."**

Kaldur pointed over my shoulder at a concession stand in the corner. "Perhaps we can find something over there," he got to his feet and held out a hand to me.

I groaned in reluctance as I struggled to my own and allowed him to pull me toward the stand. There, a nice woman who looked like she was probably in college greeted us with a bright smile. She had pretty dark skin that was smattered with freckles and a nose piercing. "How can I help you today?" she asked.

I scanned the menu before pointing at the picture of pizza on the menu on the stand's counter. Kaldur looked over my shoulder and nodded in agreement. "We would like to order a pepperoni pizza please."

The waitress nodded before relaying the order to one of her coworkers and turning back to us, "Would you like a drink with that?"

Kaldur looked to me and I pointed at the word root beer in the drink menu before he relayed it to the waitress who then relayed our order to her coworker. She looked between Kaldur and I before her polite smile became sly as she leaned towards me. "Between you and me, girl. You lucked out. You got the finest damn man in this place on your arm, congratulations."

Kaldur blushed and spluttered incomprehensively as he tried to tell her that we weren't together, but I got one look at the sign behind her and tried to catch his attention.

 **COUPLES' DISCOUNT 50% OFF**

Running out of options as Kaldur became increasingly coherent, I pushed up on the counter for balance as I kissed his cheek, bringing his sputters to an abrupt stop. The waitress chuckled in amusement, "You better take good care of her you lucky bastard. If you mess up, I wouldn't mind being the rebound. Order up!"

I barely even noticed when her coworker laid out our food on the counter. I picked up the drink. Singular. Apparently the drinks for Couples Night are served in a large beer mug with two straws. After helping the blonde to pay for the food I allowed Kaldur to take the food, not trusting myself to carry the food without wasting it. Instead I picked out a table with all the grace of a newborn deer and gratefully sat down to wait on my friend who still had that blank look on his face as he robotically place everything on the table. I waved my hand in his face but his daze persisted. When I started to snap my fingers he slowly came out of it with a shake of his head. "Why –" he cleared his throat when his voice cracked. "Why did you do that?"

" **There was a couples' discount on the food. She didn't need to know that we weren't together,"** I replied with a mischievous smirk.

Kaldur let out a short bark of laugher, "I see." He regarded our root beer with discomfort. "Er…"

" **I don't mind sharing if you don't."** He smiled gratefully before taking a sip.

He blinked with wide eyes before looking down out the glass, "Why have I not tried this before?"

My own eyes widened as well, but then again he couldn't see that, **"You've never had root beer before?"**

He shook his head, "No, I have not. We have no need for drinks in Atlantis, and I have never been comfortable enough to drink anything other than water."

I pat his cheek in mock sympathy, **"You poor baby."** Kaldur laughed at my antics as I started to serve out our pizzas. We didn't speak while we ate, but then again we didn't need to. Kaldur was the kind of person that you didn't need to speak to in order to be comfortable. He didn't force a conversation nor did he let an awkward silence hang around. His manners are impeccable but he isn't a pushover either. His blonde hair stood out against his skin and his pale green eyes looked as though they could stare through your soul. I'd be lying if I said that his gaze never flustered me or that he wasn't handsome. It's become increasingly apparent to me after the big mission yesterday that I have a crush on him. For how long, I have no idea. However, I just can't bring myself to act on it because I think he still has feelings for Tula.

Now, I have never in my life been in a relationship with anyone before, but I'm pretty sure you don't confess your feelings to your friend when they still have feelings for someone else. I'm pretty sure that it's just setting yourself up for heartbreak. I'll still be his friend though, and if he needs me then I'll be there but there probably won't be any more than that.

I watched the couples role around the rink with a small smile, admiring how they were lost in their own world that only seemed to consist of the two people. I hope I can have something like that someday. Someone that makes me feel the way Kent told he felt towards Inza. I guess I'll have to wait a long time before that happens though.

I was thrown from my musings by the sound of cheers. I followed the sound to the little arcade area where a couple was celebrating their score in skee ball. "What is that game?" Kaldur asked as he followed my gaze.

I returned my attention to him as he took in the machine with furrowed brows. **"You've never played skee ball before?"** I asked curiously to which Kaldur replied with a shake of his head. I kicked off my skates and leapt to my feet, noticing how much Kaldur dwarfed me without his as he did the same. **"We're going to have to change that."** I picked up our skates and began to lead us toward the line of skee ball machines. We stopped by a token dispenser to pay for some tokens before I paid for my game and began my demonstration. **"So all you have to do is roll the ball and try to aim it for one of the holes with the scores labeled on them. If it drops straight into the gutter down there, then you won't score any points,"** I explained before taking a ball and rolling it into five thousand slots. **"It's easy."**

I stepped aside and gestured for him to try. He picked up one of the balls and slowly rolled it up the ramp where it landed in the one thousand points slot. I ignored the look he sent me as I snickered at his hesitation. He continued like this with increasing strength but his aim suffered with each roll. On his last ball, I took his hand in mine and got behind him. I noticed that his arms were way too stiff which is why his aim was terrible. I helped him through the motions before helping him through his next roll, earning him a perfect five thousand points. I was about to pull away when his hand caught mine and I noticed that it was burning hot. "Can you help me again to make sure that I fully understand?" he asked in a weird tone.

Concerned for his wellbeing, I spun him around and brought his head down to ouch mine. I gasped in shock as felt the heat radiating off of him. **"You're burning up!"**

He took my hands away from his cheeks and backed away, "I am fine. There is no need for you to worry."

" **Are you sure?"** I asked in concern. **"We can go home if you're not feeling well."**

"I am sure," he said reassuringly. "I am just a little flushed. It is a little stuffy in here."

I eyed him in disbelief, if anything it was freezing in here. My worry for Kaldur grew as he continued to play but decided to let it go. However, if he gave me any reason to believe that he wasn't alright then I'll take him straight home to rest. I nodded absently continued to play, racking up tickets until we ran out of money.

"What do we do with these?" Kaldur asked as he picked up his roll of tickets.

" **We take them to that counter over there and exchange them for prizes,"** I answered, pointing to the little prize area crammed into a corner at the back of the arcade. I handed him my tickets as well, **"Here you can use my tickets to get a better prize."**

"But what about you?" he asked.

I waved his concern off, **"Don't worry about me. I never want anything from the prize counter anyway."**

* * *

 **KALDUR POV**

I reluctantly accepted Kage's tickets before taking in all the prizes. The worker behind the counter offered to count my tickets and gave me a receipt stating that Kage and I collected a total of nine hundred tickets. I scanned the prize wall and found a lava lamp that had cost six hundred tickets. It will be joining the rest in my collection. I was going to use the rest of the tickets to get a couple of hats but I noticed that Kage was staring at a black bat plushie that had violet ears bigger than its head, two white circles for eyes, a violet heart over its chest, and a bright yellow scarf wrapped around its neck. I discretely pointed at the bat when the establishment's MC speaking distracted Kage. The clerk took glanced at Kage before giving me a jealous glare, grumbling under his breath as he retrieved the plush.

When Kage returned her attention to where it once was, she tilted her head in confusion and turned to me when I tapped her shoulder. I presented the toy to her with a shy smile, unsure if she truly liked it or merely intrigued by it. I received my answer when she hesitantly took it and held it close to her with a large smile. **"You didn't have to get it for me. I could have earned it myself. "** she said as she carefully tucked the bat under her arm to sign.

I sent her a gentle smile in reply, "It was no problem. Besides, they were your tickets as well." She said nothing more but I noticed that the plush stayed close to her chest. It stayed in her hands as I continued to teach her how to skate, although it worsened her balance. Eventually, she was able to skate on her own, but I stayed beside her in case her balance failed her again. I must admit that it was fun and it was nice to hear clear laughter come from her.

Later, the music ended. **"All right you love birds! Its time to put away the skates and get on the floor for the couple's dance!"**

Well, this was unexpected. I bowed at the waist and held a hand out to her with a teasing smile, "May I have this dance?"

Despite my playful façade, my heart was pounding in my chest as I awaited Kage's answer. I kept my eyes peacefully closed and was careful not to clench them in order to hide my anticipation. My heart nearly leapt from my chest when I felt her small, soft hand slide into my larger calloused ones. I tried to hide my shock as best as I could but it did not stop the elation that filled my veins as I pulled her into a simple waltz. One hand was placed on the small of Kage's back and the other was clasped with hers.

I felt goosebumps prickle at my neck when she reached up to place her hand on my shoulder. Despite the fact that she had to look up to see me, Kage's hair fell in her face just enough to obstruct the view of her eyes. It was not anything new to know that Kage tended to hide her eyes whether it be with her hair, hood, or mask, and I have found myself wondering what could be wrong with her eyes for her to want to hide them. I have even taken to imagining what her eyes could look like. My most recent speculation is that she's blind, which would explain why she tends to run into nearly everything in the morning – Hold on for a moment dear readers I am being mesmerized by her smile…

…

…

Alright, I managed to pull myself back – wait – no I'm going back. It appears that I cannot focus. I find it incredibly unfair that – wait she's tugging her hands away! She's trying to say something! Quick! Do something bold!

I released my hold her back and spun her out before bringing her back and dropping her into a dip. I heard a small gasp escape her when I pulled her back to me. I could feel the ravenette's fingers twitching and I reluctantly released her to see what she had to say.

" **You've gotten a lot better at dancing! Have you been practicing?"**

I could feel a blush spreading across my face as I scratched my neck, a little relieved and disappointed that she did not notice my poor attempt at being suave. "Yes, I have. I find it enjoyable." This was a partial truth. True, dancing is fun, but my main goal was to impress Kage.

" **Are you trying to impress me or something?"**

"Not at all." Absolutely.

" **Either way, I'm impressed,"** she replied with her hands on her hips as she gave me a nod of approval. I puffed out my chest in pride for my achievement as we continued to dance.

It was great while it lasted, but it beginning to get late and we needed to start heading back to the Cave. By the time we finally left the building, the sun was beginning to set. "I hope that this trip has improved your mood."

I watched her lips curve into a slight frown before they formed the shape of an "O." **"I almost forgot why we came here!"**

"Then mission accomplished," I replied with no small amount of satisfaction. She paused in our walk, causing me to stop to face her. For the first time since her stitches came out, a large joyful grin spread across her face, illuminating it in the sky's fading light. I was positively floored by this development, for despite gaining various positive expression from Kage today, none were as… free. I was surprised that my eyes nearly popped out of my skull.

I opened my mouth to speak about it, but oddly enough, they were occupied. That is strange, I do not remember anything touching my lips. I lifted my hands only to feel one brush something soft and curly and the other something smooth and warm.I opened my eyes, never knowing when I had closed them, to find a familiar pale face.

Oh…

Oh no…

Do not panic Kaldur, we can fix this. Just slowly take your face away from hers and hope to Poseidon she does not –

CRACK!

Do that.

I doubled over clutching my broken nose. Kage jumped back with her hands over her mouth and the little skin that I could see turning grey. "That was not the reaction that I was hoping for," I tried to joke.

Her hands were a flurry of words, most of them I dare not repeat. **"Kaldur I'm so fucking sorry,"** she said before gently cupping my face and tilting my head to get a better look at my nose.

"It is alright. I should not have forced myself onto you. Please forgive me," I apologized, clenching my eyes shut in fear of her further rejection. As strong as my feelings are for her, I would never ruin our friendship for something like that.

I opened them once more when I felt her lightly tapping my cheek to get my attention. Her skin was practically grey as she slowly signed to me, **"You don't have to apologize. I…actually liked it."**

"Then why –"

" **That was my first kiss,"** she replied, before pulling up the collar of her hoodie to cover her face. I found myself blinking in shock at her admittance. Then I felt an embarrassing swell of pride at being Kage's first kiss and gaining such a reaction from her, although, I could do without the broken nose. I took hold of her hands but she refused to remove them, instead shaking her head in embarrassment.

* * *

 **KAGE POV**

Oh God, why did say that? Why did I punch him?! You're not supposed to punch the guy you like in the face when he decides to kiss you! This wasn't how I wanted to tell him!

I was brought from my musing when I was pulled into his warm chest with his lean, muscular arms wrapped tightly around me. I could hear his heart racing as fast as my own. "You do not know how happy you have just made me. I do not particularly know how this sort of relationship should work, but I am willing to try if you are." I could only reply with a sigh and a nod as the strange scent of chocolate and the sea invaded my nostrils. I could feel his breaths waft over my hair as he reluctantly released me.

" **I guess this can be considered our first date,"** I said in an attempt to lighten the mood, and felt a smile make its way onto my face as he chuckled in response.

"Yes, I suppose it could."

" **Now hold still, I need to fix your nose before it heals crooked,"** I replied as I tilted his head. I grabbed his nose with one hand and counted down from five with the other. His gaze was intensely focused on my hand as I counted down.

 **5…**

 **4** – CRACK!

"Argh!" he yelped. "I thought we were counting down from five!"

" **Who said I was doing the entire count,"** I retorted easily as he began to wipe his bloody nose with his sleeve. He narrowed his eyes at me before my world suddenly turned upside down.

Literally.

" **Put me down!"** I managed to sign.

"Not until you apologize," he denied as he carried me around like that.

" **Never!"**

He raised a brow at me before I felt fingers digging into my sides that earned a choked giggle from me. I squirmed desperately in an attempt to get away, but he only tightened his grip, "Do you yield?"

I shook my head furiously. He merely shrugged in response before he dug his fingers into my armpits and I found myself squealing in laughter. "Last chance," he offered as he continued my torture. I managed to sneak my hands into his sides, causing him to jump and drop me. It took me some time to get up because I was still suffering from some residual giggles, but I stopped when Kaldur offered his webbed hand. He easily pulled me back onto my feet. He chuckled at my stubborn resilience before we continued to walk, "Well played."

As we approached the nearest Zeta Transporter, I noticed that our fingers brushed each other as we walked together. I couldn't help but to stare at them before curling a single finger around one of his while pulling my collar back up with the other. I avoided his gaze as it seared the side of my head before hearing him chuckle as he completely engulfed my hand in his.

* * *

 **KALDUR POV**

I am honestly surprised that I have not gone into cardiac arrest with how fast my heart is beating. I am glad that we were able to clear the air though. Even though I was not planning on telling her so soon, I am content with this outcome. I squeezed, her hand to reaffirm that this was real, that this actually occurred and felt my heart leap when she squeezed mine in return. I glanced at her every now and then and was content to find that even though she did not look in my general direction she still had her collar pulled up to cover her face. It was amazingly adorable how embarrassed she was by her feelings. We were both unfamiliar to a relationship that surpassed that of friendship and I am unsure if Kage truly has feelings for me but hopefully I can eventually gain her affections.

We walked through the Zeta Tubes quietly, and I notice that the Cave was suspiciously quiet. The others must have still been at school. I felt a tug on my hand and looked down to see Kage finally looking at me, though her blush had yet to fade. **"Thank you, I really needed this,"** she said.

I gave her an cheeky smile, "Sometimes a distraction is all that is needed. If ever you require another distraction, I will be happy to oblige."

There it is. Her blush has gotten worse. I feel like I will be abusing this new ability mercilessly. Her hands twitched to reply but she was suddenly tackled by a familiar red figure. Roy was straddling Kage's waist with her hands cupped between his hands, sparking a twinge of jealousy in my heart. I was quick to put that feeling to rest. "Its true," he spoke barely above a whisper, "they're gone!" Roy leapt to his feet and yanked her into a bone-crushing hug as he spun her around shouting in jubilation. "THEY'RE GONE! THEY'RE GONE! YOU'RE FINALLY FREE! THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE! QUICK KAGE SAY SOMETHING!" The redhead stopped his spinning to hold Kage out in front of him, her feet barely brushing the ground.

Kage opened her mouth but only a small squeak came out. Roy stared at her for a few moments in which Kage's posture became nervous before she was crushed into his chest once more, "THAT FUCKING WORKS FOR ME! WHOO!" He tossed her up into the air and caught her in a bridal style carry. "WE'RE CELEBRATING WITH LORD OF THE RINGS AND PIZZA!"

I could just barely see her signing, **"Plus the Hobbit?"**

"HELL YEAH!" I followed after them into the kitchen where they were raiding the fridge and pantries.

"What are you doing?" I couldn't help but ask.

"We're making a pizza," Roy replied casually as he pulled out a container of dough. Kage clapped happily before pulling out a circular pan. "You wanna help?"

I scratched my neck nervously, "I have never made one before."

Roy shrugged and gestured to the girl I had just kissed not too long ago, "That's alright, Kage can show you how." I saw her stiffen a little and tilt her head towards my direction. She was spreading the dough out onto the pan as I moved to join her.

"What do you need me to do?" I asked as I sidled up beside her.

Her hands were slightly trembling as she replied, **"Just help me spread the dough out onto the pan before we start the sauce."**

I nodded and helped her spread the dough, noticing how she would jump and flinch whenever our fingers brushed each other. Her cheeks were completely grey and she seemed incredibly flustered. Of course, I completely knew the reason behind it, but I honestly wanted to help make a homemade pizza. I turned to ask Kage what we would do next when I got a face full of flower. I was met with a peal of giggles and deep chuckles. I slowly wiped it off my face, "Oh it is on."

Kage had already run around to the opposite side of the kitchen counter. I made eye contact with Roy and we wore matching grins. Before he grabbed a flailing Kage and while I closed in with fists full of flour as she squealed in protest. I was in the midst of scrubbing it into her hair when we heard laughter that wasn't our own. We slowly turned to face the rest of our teammates who were watching us in a mixture of shock and amusement. I noticed Kage slowly reaching over to the bowl of tomato paste on the counter before it suddenly splattered all over everyone.

Connor was the first to speak, "This means war."

* * *

 **30 MINUTES LATER!**

The food fight that ensued was chaotic and destructive. I don't know how, but we managed to get food on the ceiling. My guess is that Connor got a little overzealous, either way, the kitchen is completely destroyed and I highly doubt that we will be able to use it for a while, but on the bright side, the pizza is delicious. After the fight was over, we all gathered in the living room to watch the movies originally planned. They were rather enjoyable despite how lengthy they were. Though, the best part of the evening was later when the credits for The Battle of Five Armies began rolling.

I felt a weight on my shoulder and turned to see that Kage, swathed in a thick blue blanket, was slumped against me lightly snoring. I froze in shock, glancing around to see if anyone was watching us, only to sigh in relief when I realized that they were all sound asleep, leaving me as the only person left awake. Hesitantly, I carefully shifted around to position Kage in between my legs so that she could lay on my chest. I curled my arms around her and settled against the couch's armrest and settled in for the night. I can live with the team thinking that I cuddle in my sleep. The last thing I saw before I drifted off to slumber was the bat plush tightly clutched in her hands.

* * *

 **I'm so glad this chapter turned out the way it did. Also, I'm glad that I could finally start the romance between Kaldur and Kage! Whoo! I just wanted to let everyone know that it might take some time for me to post the next chapter because I'll be working on a Dragon Age fic and a Voltron Fic. I hope you guys won't mind.**

 **On to the next one!**

 **Thank you to...**

 **Noctis Corvus**

 **emzD19**

 **Athena1996**

 **GabrielaFrostBlack15**

 **Linkan201**

 **Jezebel9991**

 **MumblesSKS**

 **minnatarek**

 **Auguste the clown**

 **M19n98b0e**

 **luna.**

 **vitulari**

 **ttw3399**

 **Batgirl22200**

 **kayluvsall**

 **Wizard Alchemist**

 **ChiyukiLuvs2Glomp**

 **FullFear**

 **For all your support in my stories! I'm forever grateful for it. Make sure you Review so I know what you think and how I can get better at writing this story. I'm also receptive to any ideas that you might pitch.**


	16. Chapter 16: Revenge Will Be Sexy

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN YOUNG JUSTICE OR THE DC UNIVERSE. I ONLY OWN MY OC.**

 **Hey guys! I'm back again with a fresh new update for BS. I appreciate all the support its been getting and despite how good you tell me these chapters are, I rarely if ever make more than one draft of each chapter. I of course get worried that I should make more drafts and have a near heart attack when I update before you guys start sending in reviews telling me that I've done well. So thanks everybody!**

 **Now on to answering reviews…**

 **piperw142: Thanks for the props!**

 **pyrojack25: I'm thinking of doing two versions of the same story for the Dragon Age fic. I want to do one during Inquisition and the other in DA2.**

 **Guest: It's so hard to write cute things so thank you!**

 **silverosprey98: She'll keep her voice a secret because a large part of her hero persona was her inability to speak.**

 **Star-The-Writer: Poor bastard is barely starting through puberty and he has to go through this. I'm glad you love my little dorks and I have no doubt that you could one day write a story better than mine.**

 **Nightingale agent of the dark: Roy can't bring his ginger ass down. She's had those stitches for as long as they've known each other and he's excited to hear her speak.**

 **Brandon1289: Well that was my first chapter and I didn't really know who Cassie was until after I'd already started. I wasn't exactly as concerned with my spelling as I was a compelling storyline.**

 **Jack Redhawke: It's pronounced like the "kage" in "hokage" and you'd be right in that her hero name literally translates to shadow. Also, yes, my descriptions of her have always been intentional.**

 **anon: It's gonna be hard for Kage when she starts speech therapy.**

 **thatgirl221b: Thanks so much!**

 **Ookami141: Thanks for letting me know! I keep getting their names mixed up!**

 **Shazeb: Well, I purposely made Kage a little OP because she has more fighting experience than the team but very little experience as a teammate. The one time she was in a team everyone died and she's still terrified that history will repeat itself. She is indeed 5 ft tall because I wanted to be a small fierce character. I'm a little ashamed of my use of the Bogart as a way to expose Kage's fear because I know how often it has been used.**

 **With that out of the way, let the show begin!**

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **OCTOBER 3 7:00 EDT**

 **KAGE POV**

I woke to a warm pressure around my midsection and someone's breath ruffling my hair. I would've that it was just Roy using me as a teddy bear again if it wasn't for the fact that the hands resting on my stomach were larger than Roy's, not to mention they were webbed. My eyes snapped open and I groaned when I felt my mask still firmly placed on my face. It's not that I didn't appreciate everyone's respect for my secret identity because I do. I just really hate sleeping with my mask on because it leaves lines on my face. It's like falling asleep on an open binder. It sucks. Anyways, I craned my neck to see that Kaldur had burrowed his face into my hair sometime last night. I guess he also shares Roy's tendency to cuddle things in his sleep.

Unfortunately, that didn't stop my face from heating up in embarrassment. I took one of his hands in mine and carefully ran a finger over the lines on them. It amazed me that a guy like Kaldur would have feelings for me. I honestly don't know what one's supposed to do in a relationship, but hopefully we can learn together.

I carefully pulled out of Kaldur's embrace, replacing my body with a large pillow before stumbling into the nearest bathroom to clean myself. Once I was fully clean and smelling like milk and honey rather than last night's food fight, I approached the war zone to check the damage. I winced at the extent of the mess and wondered how we managed to get food splattered onto the ceiling. I briefly wondered if I should leave the mess to someone else instead before my stomach decided to make its opinion known.

So, with a reluctant sigh, I pulled my hair up into a bun and got to work. With powers like mine, it made cleaning immensely easy. I could push out all the food that managed to find its way into the little nooks and crannies and dump them in a garbage bag that I'd pulled out. Since the ceiling didn't actually get much light, I was able to get any of the food stuck up there to drop down into the bag.

Once everything was clean, I connected my phone to M'gann's speakers and set my music to shuffle as I looked through all the ingredients we had left. To my surprise, the fridge was fully stocked which means that someone from the League had to have stocked it last night after World War Food. I'll have to thank whoever did with a fruit basket or something.

My poor belly was in the mood for grits today and I thought that I'd go the extra mile by making shrimp and grits. I had Shadow go home to the apartment and retrieve the shrimp that I'd bought before I broke my stitches… Huh, it still amazes me that this is something I can legitimately say. I honestly never thought that I'd be rid of them without Kent, Zatara, or Orum finding some convoluted magical way to remove them. I call it convoluted because the procedure needed to give the stitches was ancient magic. Contrary to popular belief there is no bad or good magic, as Nabu would tell you. For instance the magic used to make and sew in my stitches were originally intended to make practice dummies that wouldn't fray so that the dummies could last longer against the magically gifted people who used them. It's just like how acupuncture was originally meant for medical purposes but was eventually weaponized. It was created with good intentions but its purpose was misused.

My growling stomach told me that I was digressing again and that I needed to hurry up with breakfast. It wasn't until halfway through the process of making the grits that I suddenly felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around my waist as a head rested on my shoulder. "What are you making?" Kaldur asked drowsily.

I definitely wasn't expecting that.

* * *

 **KALDUR POV**

I awoke with the absence of Kage's weight and sat up to find that she had been replaced with a pillow. My sleep addled mind did not allow me to process this switch until I smelled something good coming from the kitchen. That could only have been Kage because everyone else held their sprawled out positions from last night's movie marathon.

I followed the scent to find the very girl that I had been looking for stirring a pan that had something sizzling in it while a pair of small pots sat on different burners. Looking back on what happened next, I will find myself in a mixture of embarrassment and pride. Embarrassment because I had simply walked up behind her and hugged her, effectively startling her as I took in the scent of milk and honey that rolled off her skin, and I felt pride because upon the askance to what she had been cooking, I received a familiar grey tint in her ears as the color spread to her cheeks and neck. This allowed me to notice that her hair was pulled up into a rather large bun at the top of her head. In hindsight, the bun was probably to prevent any of her hair from falling into the food, but my tired mind could only register that I preferred her hair to be down as I easily teased the locks from her bun. Later, I will find myself realizing that I could have simply turned my head to solve the mystery of her eyes, but for now I will continue to make a fool of myself.

I burrowed my face into her hair to find that it was slightly damp, no doubt from the shower that Kage had probably taken before cooking. I would have gladly fallen right back to sleep and almost did, if it were not for the sound of sweet, gentle music filtering through the kitchen area.

I normally do not act this way but unfortunately I have been known to be very affectionate in the morning. Garth once told me that I had hugged his mother and refused to release her when I slept over at his house. At the young age of six, Garth had the notion that I was attempting to steal his mother from him so that I may have two. Needless to say, it ended in a scuffle and many reprimands from both of our mothers.

My attention was pulled from my musings when Kage made the squeaking sound from last night to catch my attention. I immediately noticed how her lips pulled into a frown and her shoulders slumped as she turned the heat off of what I had recognized to be shrimps in the frying pan. Seeing Kage's discontentment with her inability to verbally communicate with me made me do something very impulsive.

I spun her around and gave her a chaste kiss before saying, "Patience." I do not know what possessed me to do such a thing and I shall forever blame my tiredness, but it greatly pleased me to watch her face turn a startling grey. I cupped her face in my hands and lightly touched my nose to hers in the old fashioned Atlantean kiss. It is an act that my parents have performed frequently since I was a child, but I have never done it with someone before. Kage is my first Atlantean kiss and I am glad that it is her.

Unfortunately, the mood was ruined by the next song that blared through M'gann's speakers.

" **WALK RIGHT UP IN THE ROOM LIKE –"**

I suddenly found myself being pushed away from Kage as Roy suddenly came sliding in to shouting the lyrics at the top of his lungs while waving his middle fingers up and down "FUCK ERBODY BUT ME!"

Needless to say, my mind was no longer fogged by sleep as I took in the sight of my disheveled friend and a slightly frazzled Kage who pretended to stir the shrimps in the frying pan. I watched in amusement as Roy pulled her away from the stove to dance with him and she obliged. She somehow managed to slip away from him in order to return to the stove. My ginger haired friend made a show of inhaling deeply and grined, "Have I ever told how much I love your cooking, Smiles?"

She huffed and I could see her lips pulling into a smirk, **"Yes, but I can stand to hear it again."**

Roy only responded with light laughter as he ruffled her hair. "Hey, don't you usually put your hair up when you cook?" My heart nearly stopped at the question and I watched as Kage stiffened before reaching up to touch her hair. I have personally witnessed how protective Roy is of the mute and I would much rather continue living.

I relaxed when he sighed, "I know you're tired in the morning but I don't want your hair in my food." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a head band before returning her hair to its bun, much to my dismay. It fascinated me how close the two were and how easily they accepted the other's company.

When Roy finished with Kage's hair, he put his hands on his hips and nodded in satisfaction. The bun was a lot less neat then if Kage had done it herself, but it would serve its purpose just fine. Kage reached over to turn the music off, much to Roy's chagrin. "Hey! You ruined my groove!" He was swiftly rewarded with Kage's middle finger. I silently chuckled and listened as the rest of the team began to wake.

Connor was the first to shuffle in as slumped against the island counter. His eyes lazily roved over kitchen before suddenly widening. "Who cleaned the kitchen?" His eyes went to me but I only shook my head. They then went to Roy. He subtly nodded his head to Kage as he handed her a plate that she began to fill with food. I watched with interest as she placed shrimps and gravy from the pan atop the creamy white food that I could not recognize.

No sooner than she finished plating the food did it leave her hands in a blur of red hair. Roy glared at the speedster, no doubt intending for that to be his breakfast. He had already begun stuffing his face when he skidded to a stop next to me. "Mm thish ish sho good," he said around the food in his mouth, his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's. He pointed the fork – that I believe he acquired from the open drawer next to the stove – at Kage, "Is it too late to ask you to marry me?"

I bristled at Wally's flirtation but forced myself to relax before anyone could notice. **"Sorry Wally, I prefer older men."**

The speedster made a show of snapping his fingers, "Dang it – wait, how old are you?"

Kage handed a plate off to Roy as the archer answered, "Smiles is sixteen, just a year younger than me and Kaldur."

I tilted my head in curiosity. I did not know that she was younger than me. I only assumed that she was the same age as me. I was pulled from my musings when a pair of plates were settled in front of Connor and I. I quietly thanked Kage and watched as she ladled what I recognized to be hot chocolate into a pair of mugs, just as M'gann and Artemis shuffled into the kitchen as well. She set the mugs in front of each of us before passing more mugs around. Roy hummed in pleasure, "You used cinnamon and hazelnut this time, right?" Kage absently nodded as she handed off plates and mugs to Artemis and M'gann. "This one's a keeper."

"Kage, what is this?" I asked as I gathered a little of the white food onto my fork.

"I was wondering about that too," Connor added.

She turned to me whilst tilting her head, **"It's a southern dish called grits. It's made from dried corn kernels. There are different variations of the recipe but in Louisiana we tend to eat shrimp with grits."**

I hummed in thought as I took a bite and found that I rather liked shrimp and grits. I took a sip of the hot chocolate and was pleasantly surprised by the subtle flavor of the hazelnut and cinnamon in combination with the chocolate. "This tastes wonderful, Kage. Perhaps you can give me the recipe? I wish to try mind hand at surface world cooking," I asked before nearly choking on my next bite when I saw Kage's mug.

At first glance, it was completely unassuming with its standard shape and size along with the snowflakes on it. However the words framed by the snowflakes are what nearly killed me, because there along the mug were the words, **"BOSS ASS BITCH"** written in elegant cursive. I… I do not even know what to make of that.

I received strange looks from my peers and it only took me pointing at the mug for them to understand. "Well," Artemis said around her snickers, "it's not wrong." She looked down at her own mug to find that it was camo green and had the words, " **JUST SO YOU KNOW I DON'T CARE,"** written in bold letters.

We all looked at our mugs to find some snarky words written on them, but I did not quite understand mine. It said, **"CAUTION: EXTREMELY THIRSTY"**

We enjoyed our meal with light chatter and jokes until Martian Manhunter and Batman entered the Cave.

* * *

 **KAGE POV**

I stiffened when I felt the presence of J'onn and Batman's shadows. It always slightly disturbed me whenever Batman's shadow was around. His shadow gave off this crippling sense of sadness and now that I actually understand what it says, it sounds like it's constantly on the verge of breaking down into sobs. J'onn's speaks in a language that I don't understand, most likely the native language of the Martians. I fixed of a plate and a mug, and offered it to the older Martian. "Beh," I squeaked out, sounding more like a sheep than a squeak this time, but I guess that's an improvement. J'onn, bless his soul, knew what I was trying to say and took the offered food with a smile.

"I see you are doing much better, my child," he pointed out as me into the kitchen, accepting a hug from his niece before we settled in a corner to talk.

I could only nod an agreeance as I fidgeted with my fingers to find the proper words. I knew what I had to do but that doesn't always make it easy. **"I'm… I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday. I knew that it wouldn't be that simple to start speaking again. I guess a small part of me still hoped that it would be for once. I guess what I'm trying to say is… if your offer for speech therapy is still open, I'd love to take part in it."**

I didn't bother to look up at J'onn because I was too scared to look him in the eyes. I don't know if he'd accept my apology and I honestly don't want to see his face if he doesn't. I was shocked when I heard the Martian's deep chuckle as I felt a finger poke my forehead, "There is nothing to forgive. Your reaction was justified. You have spent almost half of your life without an ability that most take for granted."

" **But that doesn't excuse how I acted! You were just trying to help and I brushed you off. That wasn't right of me. I –"**

My rant was silenced when J'onn took my hands in his. "Your first session will begin tomorrow morning – afternoon if there is any League business to attend to."

I couldn't help but to sigh in exasperation at J'onn's typical dodging of my apologies but I couldn't help but feel like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I knew for a fact that J'onn never accepted apologies because in his mind you're already forgiven and it often irks me that he just won't accept the apology. It still meant a lot to me that J'onn was still willing to carry out my speech therapy sessions. I don't know what I'd do if I had to relearn speech by myself or worse, with a complete stranger. J'onn has helped me through many of my mental traumas since we'd met. He's the only living person left who knows absolutely everything there is to know about me. Hell, Roy doesn't even know half the things that J'onn does about me and I pray that it stays that way. My life isn't for the weak hearted and I don't know if Roy is strong enough to handle all of the details.

It still haunts me to this day, seeing the same look in J'onn's eyes that I'd often see in the mirror every morning when he pulled out of my mind. However, I'd never felt more relieved to know that someone knew what I'd been through. J'onn didn't judge me as harshly as Batman or Superman would have. I think what the League often forgets is that J'onn has seen war and bloodshed. He knows what it's like to kill and be personally responsible for taking a life. He knows what it's like to be thrust into a life he'd never wanted for himself or those he cared about. He's had that same burden pressed upon him. He's the only one who would truly understand. He also understood that neither of us would ever wish that fate upon our worst enemies.

I pulled the tall green man into a warm hug, unable to contain my gratefulness before remembering something very important. **"I'm going to have to leave soon. I need to talk to Michelle,"** I couldn't help but to smirk at the red blush that spread across the Martian's cheeks at the mention of the costume shop owner. When I first introduced them to each other, I could immediately tell that sparks were flying between them. I've tried to encourage J'onn to ask her out for the longest time but he always told me that he wasn't sure if she felt the same towards him. However, I won't give up. They're my first OTP and I will do what must be done to get this ship to sail. **"I'll tell her you said hi,"** I snickered as I exited the kitchen to find my teammates furiously whispering to each other right outside the entrance.

I'd already drawn the conclusion that they'd been trying to eavesdrop by the time they noticed me and simply watched in amusement as they tried to splutter out an explanation for their actions. They at least had the good grace to be embarrassed by their actions, so there might still be hope for them. **"Enjoy breakfast,"** I told them as I made my way to the transporter room. Unbeknownst to me, I had been followed.

I squeaked in shock when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist only to relax moments after when I realized who was holding me. Twisting around to face them, I looked up at a very worried Kaldur. "I just want to apologize for my behavior this morning. I tend to be a little… affectionate in the morning. I hope I did not make you uncomfortable." He blushed deeply as he gave me a nervous smile that made me slightly happy that I wasn't the only one nervous about what we had going on.

Kaldur was just so adorable being all embarrassed and I couldn't help but to start teasing him. I grabbed his face and brought him almost nose to nose with me. I was vaguely aware that there was nothing but my thick, curly hair barring him from looking into my eyes but decided to be daring for once. **"I rather enjoyed seeing my big bad leader turn into a big teddy bear. I think I'd like to see it again sometime, preferably on a bed."** I felt a smirk twitching at my lips as I began to pull him closer, letting him think that I would kiss him before changing course and pecking his nose. I giggled as Kaldur's eyes snapped open while I pulled away.

Kaldur sighed as I playfully backed away, "You will be the death of me." He caught me around the wrist before I could make a break for the Zeta Tubes and pulled me to him with a sly grin then he peppered my face with kisses, stopping for a few moments longer with each time he caught my lips. That's where I faltered. You see, I can handle teasing someone, but what I can't handle are romantic gestures and romantic teasing. Kaldur is doing both and I'm starting to get a little weak in the knees. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and one of my hands brushed against his gills, making him shudder. I immediately let go of him, thinking that I hurt him only for him to pull into a very passionate and hungry kiss. I closed my eyes and moved my lips against his, following his lead, but stiffened when I felt his tongue brush against my bottom lip.

To my relief he noticed and pulled away, but he didn't release me, his pale green eyes filled with worry. "My apologies, I did not mean to scare you."

I could only shake my head as I pressed my flushed cheek against his chest, refusing to meet his eyes. I listened to the sound of his heartbeat while taking deep breaths to calm down from that very heated kiss. When I deemed myself calm enough I pulled away enough for him to see my hands, **"You didn't scare me, but it's just that I'm not ready for that kind of kiss just yet. I think I almost melted."**

He gave me a reassuring smile at my admittance, "It is fine. I will do no more than what you are comfortable with."

I felt my chest grow warm with happiness, that he was so willing to let me set the pace. I often hear stories about guys who are pushier or a bit more aggressive about this kind of thing, but I should have known that Kaldur wasn't that kind of guy. I can trust him not to pressure me into something that I'm not ready for. I nodded and stood on my toes to plant a chaste kiss on his jaw before he let me go. **"I'm going back to New Orleans for a while. There's somebody that I need to talk to,"** I signed as he walked me to the Zeta Tubes.

"I will see you later then," I didn't trust the sly smirk on his face, yelping when I felt his teeth nip at my neck. I gaped at him as I absently walked through the Zeta Tube.

 **RECOGNIZE: KAGE B13**

As soon as I exited through the other side of the teleporter, I leaned against the alley wall, sliding down with my face in my hands. I could feel the butterflies dancing in my stomach as I tried not to freak out. Without another thought, I leapt to my feet and took off running to the one person who could help me right now.

* * *

 **3RD POV**

Michelle was flitting around her shop, making sure that her customer's needs were met and that her that her employees weren't getting lazy. She was just about to finish an ink blot mask that was commissioned for a client who was hosting a Halloween Party. Being a fan of the Watchmen series, he decided that he wanted to be Rorschach. She found great pleasure in making the costume and couldn't wait to see her client's reaction.

 **BANG!**

Michelle yelped in surprise at the loud sound as her attention snapped toward the door. There she saw a very flushed Kage, her chest heaving as she slumped against the door. "The fu –"

" **Kaldur and I are dating!"**

…

* * *

 **KAGE POV**

The next thing I know, my ears are being assaulted by a loud squeal and I'm being picked up and twirled around by the half Asian woman. "Is everything alright?" I heard one of her customers ask uncomfortably.

Auntie's twirling was brought to an abrupt stop, nearly giving me whiplash as she replied, "My baby just got her first boyfriend!"

I craned my neck to see a woman that seemed to be in her early forties, smiling happily at us. "Congratulations baby girl," she said as a young woman joined. "Thanks again for the costume!"

I was suddenly an arm's length away from Auntie as she grinned at me. "Tell me _everything_!"

I could only nod in reply before they brought me toward the counter and I began to tell her about the date and this morning. I was in the middle of telling her about the kitchen cuddle when she grabbed my face and turned me to face her. Her eyes were incredibly wide before I had to suffer through another high pitched squeal. "Your stitches are gone! Quick, say something!"

This feels strangely familiar, but I complied nonetheless. "Aw," I managed to say. Again, it's a lot better than the squeak but I don't think I'll be satisfied until I can make a proper sentence. Her reaction wasn't as extreme as Roy's but I was being smothered into her chest when she glomped me.

"That is the most adorable sound that I've ever heard," she whispered. "But, moving on to your little boyfriend…"

I groaned in regret as I could practically see her mind spinning with ideas. She pulled me into the back room with an evil grin. She sat me in a chair inside the fitting room and left through a sliding door that was hidden because it had a mirror covering it. The outfits she returned with made my jaw drop. I could feel my own devious grin spreading onto my face as I realized what month we're in.

Revenge will be sexy.

* * *

 **Alright everybody that's the end of another chapter and I'm just kidding. Here's the next part.**

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **OCTOBER 3 18:35 EDT**

 **3** **RD** **POV**

"Is blue balls an actual thing?" Connor wondered as he watched Wally play Dead Rising 3, just after killing off Dylan Fuentes. The boys frantically looked between each other not wanting to be the one to explain to the innocent cinnamon roll.

 **RECOGNIZED: KAGE B13**

 _Oh thank God,_ they all thought in relief. "Why don't we ask Kage?" Roy asked, knowing Kage would answer his question no matter how much it killed her on the inside.

However, his brows furrowed when he heard the clicking of heels, knowing that Kage left wearing a pair of sneakers. Connor tensed when he heard M'gann squeal before charging into the teleporter room with the others trailing behind him ready for battle. They weren't expecting to find M'gann and Artemis excitedly complementing a complete stranger. However, Kaldur was able to recognize her by her pale skin. "Kage?" he called out, causing the girls to part so he could better see the mute.

Her freshly curled black hair tumbled over her shoulders under the hood of the luxurious red velvet cloak that rested around her shoulders. She wore a brown and white corset top with tight brown leather pants that hugged her curves and knee high white furred trip heeled boots that made her legs look longer. Her lips were painted a very sinful red and Kaldur could feel his face burning as he tried to pull his gaze away.

Roy however, was on the opposite end of the spectrum as his face drained of color. "Robin, what's today's date?" he asked urgently.

"October 4th, why?" the boy wonder asked.

"It's begun," Roy rasped ominously, without answering his friend's question.

"What do you mean?" Wally asked without taking his eyes off of Kage.

Roy sighed and shook his head, "Every year Smiles dresses in costume for the entire month of October. Now I have to find some kind of way to keep her locked up until the month Is over because there's no way in hell she's going out like that."

"I don't see what's wrong with it," Wally said dreamily only get smacked upside the head by his fellow ginger. "Ow!"

"That's my sister you're ogling asshole!" Roy snapped.

Connor noticed that Kaldur had been strangely quiet as he stared at the mute and he also could see the sly smirk pulling at Kage's lips.

* * *

 **KALDUR POV**

This is cruel and unusual punishment. There in front of me was my very beautiful girlfriend wearing a very provocative outfit and I was not able to do anything about it because her very protective older brother who just so happened to be my friend, was standing right there next to me. Now, said friend has told me that she will be dressing this way for the entire month.

I now know for certain that she will be the death of me. I do not know if I will survive the week let alone the month. At least then Superboy will have the answer to his question because that will be the exact cause of my death. I know for a fact that Kage is not ready for anything more than kissing and neither am I, but she is not making it easy to hold myself back.

Poseidon have mercy on my soul.

* * *

 **Alright, now we're at the end of the chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. It's been a while since I've last updated and I wanted to have a nice fluff chapter before getting back to the actual story. I thought since the it's October and Kage's "birthday" is coming up, I'd thought I'd celebrate. Now it's time to thank all of my followers and favs (sorry if I miss you, just know that I'm no less grateful for the support)**

 **Thank you to…**

 **devils-lover76**

 **Night'sPotential**

 **Star-The-Writer**

 **The TimeKeeper's Screwdriver**

 **Brandon1289**

 **Molly Grace 16**

 **GAteZerO**

 **animegirl789**

 **Sy6tem**

 **Anime hotty lover.18**

 **Jack Redhawke**

 **whiteicewolf**

 **mr. uroboros**

 **kiki2405**

 **FailedSpark**

 **Elisathecookie**

 **OOkami141**

 **Crimcon22**

 **jadeflower158**

 **Omegas790**

 **foxchick1**

 **chronicallyPESSIMISTIC**

 **Thank you all for your love and support. I try hard to make each chapter and your reviews give me the inspiration for more of them. Here's to hoping for more good chapters in the future!**


	17. Chapter 17: Too Little Too Late

**I'm so glad that everyone likes Kage's story and I'm going to announce that I'm starting to upload the story onto Wattpad because I feel that it will help me interact better with my readers. My only problem with that is that the searching for stories on it will be the cause of high blood pressure for me in the future, but I digress. Thanks for all your support and patience with me. We're getting back to the main story today, so I hope you enjoy it.**

 **On to the reviews!**

 **BLUE AVENGER18: THANK YOU!**

 **piperw142: Kaldur is a dork, an adorable dork, but a dork nonetheless.**

 **Star-The-Writer: I hope your days have been better and I'd give some of those mugs to my friends because I've seen them in real life.**

 **SeleneAlice: This is UPDATE DAY!**

 **Guest: O_o Wow, I'm just amazed by your questions and your attention to detail (thanks for pointing out my chronology error btw). I didn't know anyone enjoyed my story that much. I know I'm a decent writer but I also know that my writing has plenty of faults as well. No, Kage will not receive her color back because it's the price of her power. The stitches didn't cause her paleness, her powers did. They changed her inside and out. She's always had the power, but it laid dormant due to the situation of her birth which I will get into later in the story. Yes, Kage will be turning 16 soon, but I won't tell you what chapter that will be. Kaldur will not be the first to hear her speak coherently. They will get progressively closer but they'll be complete dorks about it because they're both incredibly awkward. Kage has never been in a relationship and Kaldur was rejected by his first love because he misread her signals. Connor and Roy will eventually band together for Brother Club or Bro Club for short. Don't apologize for the long review because it stands out. Your input was much appreciated and I hope to receive another review from you sometime soon.**

 **CasAteDeansPie: I've never had anyone like my story so much that they'd reread it and I can't tell you how much I'm blushing at your praise. Connor has no idea how lethal his puppy eyes are and it'll probably be the end of the world when he realizes it. Kaldur will have his moments of reprieve but they will be few and far between.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN YOUNG JUSTICE OR ITS CHARACTERS. I ONLY OWN MY OC SHADOW BABY KAGE.**

* * *

 **NEW ORLEANS**

 **OCTOBER 10, 4:58 CDT**

 **KAGE POV**

I had just busted a drug smuggling ring and was preparing to go home to get some rest but was stopped by Detective Arberi. He pulled me aside and handed me a file. "I need your help with a chain of kidnappings. The current total is five people, and each person was between the ages of five and ten. We know it's the same kidnapper because they've been using the same grey SUV with tinted windows and no license plates." I looked up at the detective and gave him a firm nod.

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **OCTOBER 11, 12:30 EDT**

 **3** **RD** **POV**

The team had successfully saved humanity with the help of Zatanna and Red Tornado's fallen siblings. They were prepared to celebrate their victory upon Kage's return, unfortunately she wasn't in the partying mood.

 **RECOGNIZED KAGE: B13**

Kaldur and Connor went to greet the mute but paused when they heard a strangled scream and something break. They slowed their pace and cautiously peeked into the Zeta Tube room where they saw Kage sitting atop a crate with her face in her hands, black tears leaking through her fingers. Her hoodie was missing and her black veins were visible through her pale skin. She silently sobbed into her hands as the rest of the team gathered to watch her. Kaldur caught a flash of white under Kage's dangling feet and realized that it was the remains of her shattered mask. Kaldur's heart clenched as he watched Kage break down. "What's wrong with her?" Connor asked desperately, wanting someone to tell him how to fix her.

"I – I don't know," Kaldur answered helplessly, his heart clenching at his helplessness.

"Uh, guys," Robin called, looking down in horror at the news feed playing on his holocomputer. They gathered around the boy wonder as they saw the paused face of the news reporter, Kat Grant with a title card saying **"HERO TOO LATE"** beneath her. Robin pressed play and the news feed began to play.

The reporter stared at the camera with a somber expression, a hand pressed to her ear piece. "This is Kat Grant coming to you live from New Orleans, Louisiana about the local hero Kage. The culprit of the recent kidnappings was captured, but I can't say that it didn't come without a price. The missing children were personally delivered to the hospital by the hero due to the extensive injuries received from their kidnapper, twenty-three year old Kyle Shay. Kage, was seen with her clones, carrying the children into the hospital lobby. The children are currently being held in the ICU. Further updates coming –" Robin shut down the holocomputer as a heavy silence enveloped the team.

Kaldur broke away from the group and approached the sobbing teen, silently moving to sit next to her on the crate. He gently pulled her into his side, briefly pausing when the mute latched onto him, wetting the front of his shirt with her tears. He rocked her from side to side, attempting to comfort her as he rested his head atop hers. He turned his eyes on the team who watched with concern in their eyes. They slowly approached, not wanting to startle her. "What happened Kage?" Connor asked, thoroughly disturbed at how small Kage seemed in her vulnerability. He was so used to her standing tall. Her stature was short but her presence was large. Connor could feel when she's in the room because of the way she handles things. She observes and only interferes when absolutely necessary. When teaching him how to fight, she allowed him to develop his own fighting style, only pointing out the holes in his style when they sparred so he could physically see the problem instead of just being lectured on it. She allowed him to experiment and gave him free reign.

Kage choked and gurgled on her words, attempting to physically tell them _something_ due to the shaking of her hands. The sobs wracking her body made it impossible for her to calmly use her hands. She ended her attempts, gasping tiredly against Kaldur's chest, feeling his strong arms tighten around her. Her fingers curled around the fabric of his uniform as she tried to calm down. She felt the familiar buzzing in the back of her mind, letting her know that M'gann was linking the team to her mind. They weren't prepared for what came next.

" _Too late. Too late. Too late. I was too late. I let them down!"_ she rambled over and over, her shaking intensifying with each repetition. It was unsettling for the team to listen to her unravel.

" _What happened?"_ Artemis asked. _"You saved them right?"_

" _NO!"_ Suddenly the world around them faded as Kage's memories formed around them, carrying them along as mere observers.

* * *

 _They watched as a phantom of Kage kicked down a door in what appeared to be an old abandoned apartment building, where they heard the ominous muffled screams of a child. They watched the phantom freeze in horror and shock. Wally hesitantly moved to stand behind the phantom and immediately wished he hadn't. Hanging in the middle of the room were four naked children suspended on meat hooks by the thick ropes around their wrists. The children on the hooks were unconscious but their bodies were littered with cuts, bruises, and burns. Fortunately, they were all unconscious but the screams that they'd heard had come from the door at the end of the room._

 _Kage quickly made clones that began to take the unconscious children down from the hooks while she rushed to the other door. She slammed it open to find a shirtless, heavily tattooed man hunched over the writhing form of a child that was tied down to a table. She didn't waste any time in ripping the man away from them, nearly retching at what she'd found._

" _I'm so glad you could join us darling," the kidnapper said as the rest of the team slowly left the real Kage's side to stand with the phantom. Phantom Kage slowly, shakily turned to face the kidnapper who was slumped against the wall Phantom Kage had thrown him against. The man appeared to be young and handsome and the tattoos covering his body looked like a menagerie of stitches and the one over his chest illustrated the sutures ripping open to reveal a bleeding heart._

 _The child he'd been hunched over was staring up at Phantom Kage, with wide terrified eyes. The team felt like they couldn't breathe as they took in the pale face of the boy. The man had seemed to take great care in avoiding harming the child's face but the blood dripping down the child's lips were caused by the beginnings of a set of stitches threaded through his lips. The boy had his lips tightly clamped shut in fear of pulling at them. Kage's trembling hands cupped the boy's face, staring in what the team could only assume to be absolute horror._

 _It wasn't a secret that Kage completely hated her stitches and wouldn't wish her fate on anyone. For some deluded psychopath to start attempting to do the same to a bunch of children in twisted act of devotion to her must have been traumatizing. When Phantom Kage noticed that the man was approaching them, she pushed the child behind her protectively, noticing that he was holding something behind his back with one hand and holding the other out to her as if expecting her to take it. Then, everything slowed down around them, literally. Kage's memories slowed as the sound of her heartbeat echoed ominously around them. The world around them began to fade into red as Phantom Kage slowly took the kidnapper's hand and the world returned to normal speed as the man stabbed Phantom Kage in the chest, right above her heart._

 _M'gann screamed in horror while everyone else were struck dumb at the turn of events. However the red tint never faded as Phantom Kage yanked the man's hand forward, unbalancing him so he was low enough for Kage's head connected with his, breaking his nose. "Darling, what are you –" his ramblings were cut off by air rushing from his body when Phantom Kage punched him in the stomach before delivering a vicious kick to his neck, forcing his leg to bend away that it wasn't made to. He screamed in pain only to be silenced when Phantom Kage formed a shadow bat and hit him over the head with it, effectively knocking him out._

 _She was breathing heavily as she dispelled the bat and nearly toppled over when the child ran into her arms as she turned to face him. He sobbed into her chest as Phantom Kage comforted him. They watched her took off her hoodie and pull over the boy's head. The rest of the children were carried in by the clones, wearing hoodies of their own. She took in each of their exhausted and pained faces, her heart breaking for each and every one of them. None of these children deserved this and no doubt they were all praying for a hero, any hero to come to their rescue. Sure, a hero arrived, but at what cost?_

* * *

The memory faded back into the Cave and the team returned their gaze to the real Kage, who'd moved from her position atop the crate into the dark little corner behind it with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms held over her head while her head was pressed into her knees. Connor, knowing that Kaldur was better suited to comforting people, lightly pushed the Atlantean forward while he held a sobbing M'gann who was the most affected by the memory. He ushered everyone out to leave the two alone so they could all process what happened.

Kaldur walked around to Kage where she seemed to be calming down a little. Kaldur gently pulled her out of the corner before sitting down and pulling her back down to sit between his knees, her back to his chest and his arms around her middle. He rested his head on her shoulder while she leaned back onto his, pressing her cheek his head. "I will be honest with you Kage," he whispered hoarsely, sounding on the verge of tears himself. "I will not pretend that understand an ounce of what you are going through, but I can say that you have people who will be there for you. I do not know what you thought –" Kaldur had to stop in order to take a deep breath to regain his composure, his shoulders shaking as he attempted to articulate what he wanted – needed – Kage to understand. "It pains me to see you like this. To see you hurting and in despair because of the things you have no control over, like the world rests on your shoulders. I want you to know that I care and that I value your wellbeing, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. I care for you and all that such would entail. You do not have to hide your tears from me. Let them go because they mean that you still possess your humanity."

Throughout Kaldur's speech, Kage found herself shaking once more as the emotions she'd painstakingly tried to bury erupted like a volcano. She rested her small hands atop his and threaded her fingers through his, squeezing them tightly as she broke. Her tears spilling freely as she pursed her lips to mute her sobs, only to let them burst forth when Kaldur squeezed back, his tears silently flowing onto her bare shoulder. They sat like that for a while, taking comfort in each other's presence. Kage was able to turn sideways so that her face was in Kaldur's neck. She felt grateful to have someone like him. Most people would hope and pray to have someone as supportive, kind, and caring as Kaldur.

They sat together in silence, never breathing a word, only their labored breaths ever breaking the quiet. Eventually the pair dosed off, both emotionally and physically exhausted. Connor returned later to check on the pair just in case Kage needed the extra support. He found them still curled in the corner together. He knew he probably should have left them alone, but he had a better idea. He returned to the living room and gathered his friends.

* * *

Roy, having returned to the apartment expecting to find Kage sleeping on the couch while some obscure parody movie played over her light snores and his dinner waited for him in the refrigerator. However, he found neither, but he simply called the mute to check in with her. If she picked up or it the call was sent straight to voicemail, then she was fine, but if it kept ringing then something was wrong.

It kept ringing.

Worried and slightly panicked, Roy called the cave, hoping the team would know where she was, only for no one to answer. This had the ginger extremely worried as quickly armed himself and ran through the Zeta Tubes heading straight for the Cave. When he arrived in the Cave, he looked up and down for everyone but found no one. The Cave suspiciously empty, that is until he found Red Tornado, or what was left of him anyway.

"Tornado, where is everybody?" he demanded, holding back his questions as to _how_ the android was in such a state.

"I believe the others are in the Zeta Tube. They mentioned, 'Cheering Kage up,'" the crimson android replied, further frustrating the ginger.

"I just came from there, Red!" he said, nearly pulling his hair out in worry.

"They should be behind the crates."

Roy grumbled under his breath about crazy robots and how the League was too fucking lazy to move the goddamn crates. He stormed around it to find that the entire team had formed a cuddle pile, complete with comfortable looking quilts and fluffy pillows. "Damn," Roy said taking in the sight. "Why the fuck wasn't I invited?" He shook his head and stole an extra quilt from Wally, grumbling under his breath, "Well fuck that, I'm crashing the pile." With that, he took the spot closest to Kage which was right outside of her corner near her feet because there was no way he was going to attempt to get in there. It was a miracle in and of itself that Kaldur managed to fit and he wasn't going to tempt fate.

* * *

 **MEANWHILE**

Michelle was having a normal day off her costume shop, when she suddenly got a news alert on her cellphone. The moment she read through it, she attempted to call Kage, knowing the same routine that Roy did. However, when she received the same response, she flew into a panic, using the emergency phone that the League had given her to contact Martian Manhunter. "Kage isn't picking up!" she shouted down the phone as she began to put on a jacket with the phone held between her cheek and shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" J'onn inquired, wondering how in the world a mute would communicate over the phone. Michelle hurriedly gave him the cliffnotes version of Kage's communication system. "Alright, calm –"

"I SWEAR TO GOD JOHN IF YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN I'LL PUNCH YOU IN THE FUCKING THROAT, JUST GET YOUR GREEN ASS DOWN HERE AND TAKE ME TO THE CAVE SO WE CAN FIND MY BABY!" Michelle roared, causing the green man to flinch in fear of the woman's wrath.

"Yes ma'am," he said, blinking in shock when he realized that Michelle had already hung up. He sighed in slight relief, knowing that he was no longer on the receiving end of the costume maker's wrath. Batman may have been intimidating but nothing was more terrifying than an angry Michelle being kept away from her self-appointed baby.

God help the man who stood between Michelle and her baby.

* * *

J'onn and Michelle arrived at the Cave in record time and Michelle frantically flitted around in search of either Kage or Connor in hopes that the latter could help her find the former. She would have torn the entire Cave apart if J'onn didn't direct her to the bunch of crates that Green Lantern and Superman were supposed to have put away when the team was given the Cave.

"Awww!" Michelle cooed when she took in the sight of the giant cuddle pile, relieved that Kage had the support she needed. She sagged in relief, leaning onto J'onn as he ushered her into the kitchen where he began to make some tea for the woman. "Thanks J'onn," she said gratefully as she took a sip of the Earl Grey tea.

"It is no problem," he said dismissively as he sat across from her on the island counter. "I find your concern and care for Kage quite admirable. Not many people see her as the child that she is, but you do and I am glad."

Michelle snorted, "If you're trying to segway into some kind of lecture about how I should be less hostile to Canary because it has some convoluted correlation to Kage's emotional health then you can forget it. The kid's a lot more simple than you think."

J'onn gave the pale skinned woman a shocked look, "It is often times that I wonder if you also possess the ability to read minds, Ms. Jacobs."

Michelle waved him off, "How many times have I told you to call me Michelle? Besides, that's pretty much what we always end up talking about and my answer is the same. I'll be civilized to her if she can be civilized to Kage otherwise she can kiss my pasty ass."

J'onn sighed in exasperation at her reply but relented nonetheless, and although he didn't admit it, he was amused by her response. "I'd happily do it for her."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" J'onn said hurriedly, not realizing that he'd said that out loud. He tried to hide the bright red blush on his face to no avail.

"Are you alright, John? Your face is so red," Michelle asked in concern.

"I am fine," he tried to deflect, "the tea is just warming me." The Martian nearly fell out of his chair in shock when he felt a small, lightly calloused hand press into his cheek.

"I don't know you feel warmer than usual. You sure you're not running a fever or something?" J'onn carefully took Michelle's hand into his larger rough ones, trying to calm his pounding heart.

"I assure you that I am fine but – um…" " _Alright J'onn this you can do this, just ask her out to see a movie and hope she says yes."_

" _My answer is yes if you were wondering,"_ J'onn jumped at the sound of the woman's voice in his mind.

"Ho –"

"You were projecting your thoughts," Michelle answered, lightly pushing his gaping mouth closed as she gave the man a seductive smirk. "I'm free on Friday, if that works for you." Martian Manhunter spluttered for a response before finally responding with a simple yes. "Great!" Michelle replied with an excited smile before brushing her lips against his cheek, leaving him to stare out into space in shock while he mentally celebrated his personal victory while she returned home.

In the exact moment that Michelle confidently strutted out that Kage staggered in, slumping against the counter. She sent the Martian a knowing smirk, projecting her thoughts toward him, _"You finally asked her out didn't you?"_

Blood flooded the Martian's face as he hid his face into his unfinished cup of tea. "I do not understand how that is your business."

Kage chuckled, _"I'll take that as a yes. Just remember, she likes animals, chocolate, and art."_ J'onn pretended that he wasn't listening but they both knew that he was filing the information away for later. Kage on the other hand was celebrating the fact that her ship was finally sailing.

"I could always inquire about your relationship with Kaldur as it pertains to your mental and emotional health," J'onn teased, chuckling at the grey blush climbing up the mute's body. Kage raised her hands in surrender and went to grab the glass of milk that she came for and rejoined the comfort of the cuddle pile.

* * *

 **Alright guys this is one of my shorter chapters, but that's mainly I was never really able to see Kage having a role in the episode with Red Tornado. It was just fine without her and there is nothing she could have added that could have helped. Her shadows would have burned from the light of the volcano, and she would only be able to cause minor damage Red Volcano. It just didn't play out how I wanted but don't worry, Kage will return later. I'm sorry for the slow updates. I just recently started college not to mention the fact that Netflix took down Young Justice, so it'll take longer for me to update.**

 **ON TO THE NEXT ONE!**

 **Thank you to…**

 **storygirl99210**

 **jair d**

 **navybluebookworm**

 **silentmayhem**

 **Kyklia**

 **Fangirl282**

 **AreYouMAD(yes, yes I am, but aren't we all?)**

 **DemonQueen69**

 **Sorahearts210**

 **Mr. Catbug**

 **mr. jack joke**

 **SweatersAndTeaBags**

 **Amanecer Azul**

 **Dentisheik**

 **darkcmdrtdot**

 **Colinpop5**

 **Lupe Fiasco (CELEBRITY IN THE HOUSE WOOP WOOP!)**

 **poom132**

 **SoundwavesSynod**

 **Nerdy Jiyu**

 **YannieMae**

 **Azrael de Angelo**

 **10868letsgo**

 **Royal Amphirite**

 **FlamingStar1**

 **Wolfygirlxx**

 **X7sage**

 **ALK567**

 **THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT AND LOVE! REMEMBER TO LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	18. Chapter 18: Mind Fuckery

**Hey guys! This is it! The chapter I've been waiting for since day one! I've been planning this chapter before I even started this fic! Also I'm just gonna put this out there: I might do a Flashpoint chapter where we get see Kage because after watching the movie and seeing Kaldur, I've been thinking about what Kage would be like in this timeline. With that said on to the comments!**

 **AlicetheCactus: What you just described is me in a nutshell. I'm terrible at comforting people because my view of how to fix emotional problems isn't exactly the best.**

 **Shahzeb: I feel like Kage would like Raven as a person but would generally have no patience for any of the self-pity she carries as a spawn of Trigon.**

 **Star-The-Writer: Do we have the same best friend?**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN YOUNG JUSTICE OR IT'S CHARACTERS. THEN AGAIN IF YOU'VE BEEN READING THIS LONG THEN YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT ALREADY.**

* * *

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **OCTOBER 16, 16:01 EDT**

 **KAGE POV**

We were all gathered today in the Cave to watch the Justice League take on a fleet of alien invaders and just watched as J'onn, Superman, Captain Atom, Captain Marvel, Batman, and both Green Lanterns were easily taken out by some kind of beam from the mother ship. I should be feeling some kind of emotion right now: anger, fear, pain, crippling sorrow, but I found that I was surprisingly okay with their deaths. This doesn't seem normal for me because this is definitely not how I handle death. My attention was pulled from the abnormality by the incoming transmission from Zatara.

"Tornado," he began solemnly, "did you –"

"Yes, Zatara," Red Tornado sharply replied. "We saw. Celestial fences have failed. Initiate all terrestrial measures."

"Affirmative, see you in the field," with that Zatara ended the transmission and Red Tornado turned to face us.

"I must join the League. We will protect the planet at all costs, but should we fail the responsibility falls to you."

Kaldur and I exchanged resolved looks, neither of us sure if we are ready for such a heavy burden but ready to shoulder it if we must. I felt his fingers brush the back of my hand and I hooked my index finger with his own for reassurance. He looked Tornado in his eye slits and replied with determination, "We stand ready."

We stayed in the cave, watching the news feeds of Justice League members around the world attempting to hold off the invasion and failing. Many of them were being reported as dead or missing. It was a very disheartening sight to behold. **"Red Tornado to Cave: I fear I am all that remains of the League,"** Red Tornado reported as he took down as many ships as he could while trying to infiltrate the mother ship that just touched down.

"RT!" Robin exclaimed, but it was too late. Red Tornado fell.

"We are Earth's heroes now," Kaldur stated with a disconcerted frown.

"So what are we waiting for? A theme song?" Connor snapped.

"A strategy," Kaldur retorted calmly before he began to explain what we already know about the invaders. "Earth weapons are ineffective and it has been made tragically clear a direct attack will not succeed."

I clapped once to get their attention and pointed to Robin, **"Check the satellites maybe they can show us something we're missing."**

Robin nodded in agreement before pulling up a holographic image of the world with red splotches representing where the aliens resided. Connor pointed up at the Arctic Circle, "It looks like one got lost." Robin zoomed in on it and the globe rotated to where everyone could see the one red dot.

"It's Superman's Fortress of Solitude," the Boy Wonder concluded with wide eyes.

"Superman has a Fortress of Solitude?" my favorite clone asked in disbelief as he let that information sink in. He looked to me and I could only shrug in response. I didn't know he had something like that otherwise I would have told him about it.

"It's power source must have attracted the aliens' attention, at least enough to send a scout ship to investigate," Robin explained.

"Must be some fortress," he muttered bitterly, as he turned away from us to hide his expression.

"Connor," M'gann began her tender reassurance only to be rebuffed by the kryptonian.

"No, it's okay. I guess there's a lot about Superman that I'll never know. Uh, you know, now," he fumbled to admit the reality that the person he'd been cloned from was gone.

"We will target this lone ship," Kaldur said, already forming a plan in his mind.

Wally was eager to add to it, "Yeah, break it down, build more, hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo – OW!" He was immediately met with a boot to his shin and an elbow to his ribs from me and Artemis respectively. Not that I didn't appreciate his zeal but he was getting into dangerously xenophobic territory with the two aliens on the team standing right across from him. Artemis told him as much.

For the first time since the beginning of his rant, Wally actually noticed that Connor and M'gann were sending him dirty looks and his eyes widened in realization at how insensitive he was being. He let out a nervous laugh, trying to cover his tracks. "Not that all aliens are automatically ugly."

I clapped again to get everyone's attention, **"You've got ten minutes to grab whatever you need before we go. We'll meet in the hangar."** I was met with many nods and mumbled words of acknowledgement before everyone shuffled off to take care of their business, everyone except for Kaldur who was sending me an unreadable look.

He walked towards me with a purposeful stride, not that he really needed many of them to reach me, and took my hand in his, rubbing his thumb along the back of my hand. As soon as Connor was out of earshot, he let out a deep and tired sigh and let his shoulders sag to show the weight that was now thrusted upon his shoulders. I tilted his chin up so he could see the parts of my face that were visible as I began to slipped my hand out of his and began to sign. **"Your hands are shaking. What's wrong?"**

He pressed his forehead to mine as he whispered his reply, "I am nervous and scared. Usually I have no doubts that we all will return home, but now I am not so certain. How will we be able to take on a threat that easily eliminated the Justice League? Have you ever done anything like this with your former team?"

He stared down at my hands as I replied, **"Do you remember how that group that was using me and a bunch of others as child soldiers?"** When he mutely nodded, I continued. **"I had to lead an escape plan that included me, my teammates, and the thousands of kids that were kidnapped along with us. I'm going to be brutally honest and tell you that not all of us were able to get out unharmed or alive. That might be the kind of situation that we're going to be in."** Kaldur's head ducked in discouragement but I pulled it back up to face me. **"But what's important is that we fought for what we believed in and were willing to die trying. We all knew what we were getting into and were ready to risk everything for it. Even then, not a day goes by where I don't try to think of what I could have done to prevent so many deaths. In the end we got out but we never forgot the ones we lost because forgetting what they died for is the same as them dying in vain. The most we can do is grit our teeth and pray for the best as we try to find a way of accepting it."** The next thing I know, my wrists were captured in Kaldur's large hands as he pressed his lips to mine in a rough and sloppy kiss that I was quick to reciprocate.

"Thank you," he rasped. I could only nod dumbly in reply as I suddenly remembered that we were on a time limit. I took out one of the two pocket watches around my neck and pulled the actually working one to check the time. I quickly gasped and showed Kaldur the time before we rushed off to get ready for the arctic. I was quick to change into some thermal clothes and a faux fur lined coat, allowing Cas to hitch a ride in the front of my coat as zipped it up.

* * *

The ride to the Fortress was quiet as we all did our own last minute rituals but the weight of the situation was not lost on us. The scout was easy to find, so we parked the ship just out of sight. I had to hide in Miss Martian's shadow while Cas was with Superboy because none of my thermal wear was meant for camouflage and more functionality in retaining my body heat. I've gotten frost bite once and I don't intend to get it again. It was one of the least pleasant experiences in my life.

Miss Martian snuck up on the scout and began to telekinetically took a piece out of one of its wings. _"Communications disabled,"_ she reported. The ship abrupty dropped onto the ground. " _Propulsion disabled."_

" _Good work Miss M,"_ I praised as Artemis shot a foam arrow into the ship's doorway, narrowly dodging the beam that was shot back in retaliation.

" _ET's are sealed inside!"_ Artemis said, clearing Kaldur to leap out behind the ship and land on it. My heart should have been in my throat when the turret turned to disintegrate him but I was disconcertingly unaffected as Superboy, Cas, and Wolf pushed the gun off its aim. Kid Flash , Miss Martian, and I were next on the scene while Superboy held the gun in place so Robin could attempt to hack it.

" _Identifying weapon's structural stress points and links to the ship,"_ Robin said before he began to point them out to Miss Martian and I as I leapt from her shadow. We quickly took turns cutting through the alien metal, careful to only cut enough to disconnect the joints keeping it to the ship as Superboy began to pull on the turret. I had just heard a high pitched sound before Wolf pushed his master out of the way of a beam that came from the turret's column.

" _Wolf,"_ Miss Martian said in wide-mouthed disbelief.

Robin continued to fiddle with his holocomputer, _"There was no indication of feedback. I'm sorry."_ He gave the clone an apologetic look while Aqualad and I shared a knowing one.

" _Can't do anything for him now. Let's go,"_ was the clone's numb reply as he finished what he started. He promptly leapt onto the bioship and held the weapon still so Miss Martian could begin the integration process for the weapon. In doing so, the ship had to lose it's camouflage and unfortunately we didn't have time to wait as two more ships came flying in.

" _Miss Martian, open fire!"_ Aqualad commanded.

" _Can't!"_ she barked back. _"Weapon's systems are offline to incorporate the new cannon, and that's not fully integrated yet either!"_

" _We need to have a discussion about all the design flaws on the bioship when this is over!"_ I said as I moved to stand in front of the red head in order to protect her.

" _I gotcha covered!"_ Artemis said as she let loose a barrage of arrows out in the open. "I'm almost there!" She immediately began to make a break for the bioship. She managed to destroy one ship and ground the other but its turret was still functional. My eyes widened in shock and fear as the ominous red barrel began to warm up.

" _Artemis! Look out!"_ I nearly screamed over the mind link, but it was too late. The blonde turned to make a final stand, but the cannon was quicker and I watched in horror as she disintegrated into nothing. M'gann shouting Artemis's name sounded muted to my ears as the pounding of my own heart began to fill my ears. I watched as Kaldur destroyed the offending ship and tried to reground myself. I took deep breaths, ignoring the biting cold that felt like icicles entering my lungs as I stared at where Artemis once stood.

"They're dead!" Wally snarled. "Every single alien if it's the last thing I do!" We left the Arctic with a new weapon and the heavy feeling of loss in our hearts. No one spoke as we all took the time to mourn Artemis. I couldn't even find it in myself to form tears anymore as Artemis's death made me reflect. I never thought I'd ever have to take my own advice so soon. M'gann was silently sobbing as she piloted the ship and Wally took to taking out his frustration on the console in front of him. None of us could bring ourselves to look at Artemis's seat but it was time for me to pull my big girl panties on and woman up.

"There will be time to mourn later," Kaldur said, having a similar idea. "Now we have a job to do: Defending the Earth and ensure Artemis's sacrifice was not in vain."

" _Kaldur is right,"_ I added calmly and was relieved to find that my voice wasn't as hollow as I felt. No matter how many times I lose people, it never seems to get any easier to deal with. _"This is where Canary's lessons come into play. All that anguish, sadness, and rage you're feeling? Use it. It will be your greatest weapon in this battle."_

"How can you be so calm about this?!" Wally demanded, directing his rage at me.

" _I'm not. In fact I'm boiling with rage,"_ I answered honestly. _"I'm just better at hiding it."_ I absently began to rub a whimpering Cas's head more to comfort myself than him.

"Back to the Cave?" M'gann asked, looking to Kaldur and I for direction.

"The Hall of Justice," Aqualad corrected. "The human race must know that there are still heroes defending them. There is still hope."

* * *

I was saddened to see the expressions on my friend's faces. This was a reality that I never wanted them to face, but that was simply wishful thinking. Having the lives of many resting in the palms of your hands is not something I would wish on any of them, but sadly fate rarely ever so merciful.

DC was a war zone. The US military was holding the front lines in front of the Capital, attempting to hold off the incoming ships. Unfortunately, they were outgunned and attempting to fight an uphill battle. We closed in on a trio of ships that were attacking, flying right over them. Superboy dropped onto one and I another as we instantly began to tear them apart while Miss Martian utilized the new cannon to shoot the last one out of the sky. Shadow quickly caught our skidding ships to keep them from mowing over the soldiers on the ground. The bioship landed right behind us and we turned to watch for any more enemy ships as our friends disembarked.

The soldiers cheered for us as they gathered. "See! It is Superman! I told you he wouldn't leave us out here alone." one of them said in reprimand to one of his comrades.

"I don't know," his blonde friend said skeptically as he scrutinized my big little brother. "He looks kind of young… and where's the cape?"

"I'm not Superman," the ravenette snapped.

One of the commanding officers approached us with a tired smile, "I don't know who you are, son and right now, I don't care. You wear the S and you got the job done."

"I'm not Superman," Superboy repeated in a quieter morose tone.

"Tell that to the enemy," the officer said before saluting Kaldur and I as we moved to stand in front of him. "General Wade Eiling: US Airforce."

"Aqualad and Kage: Justice League," Kaldur answered in his new and improved no-nonsense tone. "We'll help you salvage as many of the aliens' cannons as possible. Then we start taking back what is ours." The rest of the day was spent doing just that. When we finished, I went over to the broken statues of the found members of the League, pressing a hand to the fallen head of J'onn. It was in this moment that I wished I had something to do because I began to wonder what became of Michelle, Roy, Mr. Kendrick, and Chris and I wish I didn't because it was a road I didn't want my mind to go down at a time like this.

By the sound of her sobbing, M'gann had joined me, nearly throwing me across the room when she lifted the statue's head to reveal J'onn lying beneath the rubble. Immediately, my guard was up, because we saw Martian Manhunter get killed by one of those ships. I held M'gann back from flying into his arms with one hand and held out a claw to his throat with the other. I pointed to my temple and waited for the redhead to do her thing.

" _It's him! He's real and he's alive!"_

"But we saw you get disintegrated," Connor said following my train of thought. "You _and_ Superman and everyone!"

"Yes," J'onn's deep voice rumbled as M'gann and I helped him to his feet, rubbing his head in pain. "I remember but I cannot remember how I survived or how I arrived here," I could tell by the undertones of stress in his voice that this was indeed J'onn. No shapeshifter that has ever tried to imitate has ever been able to nail his subtle inflections of emotions before and I doubt the aliens know enough about him to do so.

"Maybe you were density shifting and the beam passed right through you," the younger Martian suggested.

Robin immediately caught on, "Scrambling your brain along the way!"

J'onn regarded that theory with hesitant acceptance but the way he frowned hinted at something being off. "My mind _is_ clouded," he admitted as he gained a look of intense concentration. "I feel certain that I had something important to tell you." I gently settle him onto Shadow's back to get him off of his feet in case he fainted.

" _Hello Wally! Come on!"_ I heard through the mind link. He led Robin to the bioship where the ravenette was scanning for Zeta Beams. _"I knew it!"_ he exclaimed enthusiastically when he found what he was looking for. _"Look! It's giving off Zeta Beams! The same stuff that powers our Zeta Tubes! This thing doesn't disintegrate, it teleports! Artemis is alive!"_ I shared uncertain glances with Kaldur and Connor. As much as I wanted to believe in Kid's theory, I couldn't help but to feel that it was a little farfetched. I highly doubt that if any of the other League members who've been hit by the beams _were_ somehow alive that they didn't already make their escape. These aliens were too meticulous and calculating to allow for the risk of prisoners but I don't think I can tell Wally that. He's been the one who's been handling Artemis's death the hardest and I don't want to snuff out his hope on the off chance that he's right.

Robin seemed to share my reservations, _"Maybe b –"_

" _No maybes! They're all alive!"_ Wally didn't want to hear it and M'gann was quick to hope for the best possible solution.

"That must have been what you wanted to tell us!"

J'onn on the other hand seemed less certain, but we didn't have time to dwell on it as more aliens were coming in for an attack. _"We're on our way!"_ Kaldur and I said in unison.

" _Negative!"_ Robin denied sternly. _"We can't win this! Miss Martian camo the bioship and –"_

Said redhead and her uncle went tumbling to the ground, crying out in pain. I didn't like what that was insinuating. "M'gann!" Connor cried out distress, helplessly trying to figure out how to make his girlfriend better. He rushed to her side while Kaldur and I handled J'onn.

"It didn't feel it," Miss Martian said in an emotionlessly dazed tone.

" _We're falling back!"_ Robin announced as he, Kid, the General, and one of his soldiers ran through the doors. The others were pressed against the sides of the doors, prepared to return fire.

"We're trapped," General Eiling growled in frustration. I got his attention with a snap of my fingers.

" **Not necessarily,"** I pointed to the doors leading to the League's Zeta Tubes to the Watchtower.

Kaldur gave me a strained appreciative smile as he once again took the lead while soldiers filed in to cover us. "We can all Zeta to the Cave if you can grant us computer clearance to access the Tubes," he directed the last part of his explanation to J'onn who nodded in resolution.

"I can only authorize one at a time," J'onn warned. Goddamnit! Another design flaw that will be discussed either when we get out of this mess or when we all die. Either way someone's getting ripped a new one.

"Send the soldiers first," Aqualad ordered.

"Belay that!" the general barked back. "You seven are assets we cannot afford to lose!" We all shared private looks and imperceptible nods before J'onn began the override process. Once the computer recognized the Martian, the door to the Zeta Tubes slid open and I felt a wave of relief flood me. Hopefully we can all live to fight another day.

One by one we filed into the Tubes, however we weren't fast enough to outrun the enemy. The entrance was blown to smithereens as Kid began his decent into the Tubes. Aqualad quickly threw Kid through the Tubes and took my arm as he prepared to toss me in next, but I refused to budge. "Jacqueline _**please**_ we don't have –" I ripped off my mask and silenced him with one final kiss, slipping the cool porcelain smooth mask into his hands as I pushed him in. The last thing I saw before he burst into golden particles were his wide horrified green eyes widening even further as the billowing winds of the newly created battlefield blew my unruly long bangs away from my eyes. I made sure to keep a serene smile on my face before steeling myself to face the horde.

" _ **Shadow,"**_ I beckoned.

" _ **Are you certain Mistress? You know that that form isn't stable,"**_ he warned, his bright amber eyes staring into my soul.

" _ **It'll be worth it in the end, buddy,"**_ I replied with resignation. I closed my eyes as Shadow coiled around and pressed his head over mine. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Here's to hoping that this doesn't kill me.

* * *

 **KALDUR POV**

I skidded across the ground before turning to face the Tubes, ignoring Kid and Robin's inquiries as I waited for her to walk out. My heart was firmly lodged in my throat as a soldier, Superboy, and finally Martian Manhunter stepped through, but no Kage. I clipped Kage's mask to my hip and rushed to the holocomputer when the hollow voice of the computer announced that the League's Zeta Tubes were offline. I was constantly muttering the word "no" over and over as I tried to pull up a visual – any visual of the Hall of Justice. My heart soared when I was able to find a working camera and could not believe what I was seeing.

To my relief, Kage was alive and still fighting, with troops rallied behind her to hold off the invaders. However, she has changed. Her pale skin was now pitch black and her entire appearance was as if she had merged with Shadow. Resting on her head like a head dress was the top half of Shadow's head with his fangs framing the sides of her face and connected to Shadow's head was a very indecent suit that I couldn't be bothered to blush at due to my worry. The was skin tight and barely covered her chest as it was open from the neck down, thankfully getting narrower as it reached the V of her hips. There were teeth lining the opening, further proving my theory that she and Shadow merged. Her arm claws were now monstrously large, almost bigger than her torso as I watched her rip through a ship like butter. The pants were baggy and didn't allow me to see her feet which were probably merged with the rest of Shadow's elongated body. In place of Kage's hair, which should have been visible when her back faced the camera I was using, I was instead met with more of the headdress which included prehensile stingers that impaled and crushed many alien ships as Kage stormed the city. Her eyes turned toward the camera and I was struck with the realization that her bangs were no longer in her face, allowing me to clearly see her piercing blue ringed irises and black sclera, giving her the illusion of having empty eye sockets that were only lit by a deep blue light.

"Whoa!" I heard Wally exclaim as he skidded to a stop next to me.

"What is that?" Robin asked in disbelief.

At first I could only shake my head before I cleared my voice and replied, never taking my eyes off the screen. My heart leapt into my throat once more when I saw a shit land a hit on her only for the part of her that was disintegrated to grow back, allowing me to take a deep breath of relief. "She's buying us time," I realized.

"She? _That's_ Kage!?" Wally exclaimed in disbelief.

General Eiling, who had been watching the feed, narrowed his eyes at me, "You're telling me that thing is the midget lady with the mask?"

I tightened my grip on said mask to keep from punching the man in the face, "She _is not_ a midget and yes, General, that is Kage."

"Don't want to get on her bad side," I heard the General mutter under his breath and couldn't help but to sigh because I agreed with him.

"What are we gonna do, Aqualad?" Robin asked, looking to the Atlantean for guidance.

My mind went blank as I stared at Kage rampaging through the streets of Washington, remembering what she told me earlier. I followed her words, gritting my teeth and sending a brief prayer to Poseidon before getting down to business. "Our next mission is clear. If we believe that the aliens have been teleporting their victims –"

"Which we do!" Kid Flash interrupted. The others and I shared doubtful looks but did not attempt to correct the speedster. He was holding onto hope that his loved ones were alive and I could not fault him for that.

"Then the only reasonable detention center is the mother ship," I finished. Robin pulled up an image of said ship.

"It's on top of what used to be Smallville," he said before turning to Martian Manhunter whose gaze was still locked onto Kage. "Is that ringing any bells?"

"No," he replied with an apologetic shake of his head, "I'm sorry."

I took in this information before glancing at the screen again, "Kage is currently drawing their fire, so we shall infiltrate the mother ship and destroy it from the inside, but first, we must inspire hope in the people."

* * *

That is exactly what we did. Robin hacked the remaining satellites to send a worldwide live broadcast of us speaking to the people. Delivering an inspiring and profound speech that I honestly do not remember because my heart was pounding in my ears and my worry drowned out my thoughts. Kage must have had a similar idea to us because her massive form could seen approaching the mother ship threateningly on the horizon. A loud beastial roar could be heard from her as she lunged into their range of fire. She was violently ripping guns and cannons from the ship while latching onto it. The mother ship deployed more drones that focused on defending the ship from her.

Taking this chance, I ordered Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian to infiltrate the ship. Kid Flash, Superboy, and I were able to get into one of the open bay doors, grateful for the opening. We carefully navigated the halls, careful to stay out of the sentry drones' sights and met up with the Martians. The mother ship shook violently from Kage's attacks and the former mute's muffled roars could be heard. Robin gave me a forlorn look out of Kid Flash's line of sight and that was when I knew that the redhead's theory was proven false.

Before the mission, I had asked Robin to scan for League and Team signals once we got inside the ship, now we know for sure that they are gone. However, the mission has not changed. We must destroy the mother ship. We quickly made our way to the center of the ship where the power core was. If we managed to blow it up, then the world will be saved. Kid looked around in confusion before turning to me for answers. "Aqualad why are we here? We should be looking for Artemis and the League."

I closed my eyes and let out a tired sigh. Robin was the one who answered through the mental link. _"I've been scanning for League and Team signals since we got inside,"_ he sent the speedster a sympathetic look, knowing that he wouldn't take it well. _"They're not here. Artemis is gone."_ I could not bear to see Kid's world crumble around him at this news as I instead changed the subject.

" _Our mission still holds purpose: to destroy this mothership."_

We ran toward the core, which turned out to be a huge mistake because the core began to pull us in with its gravity. Robin was able to save us with his grappling hook. He was not able to hold all of us, so Superboy and I had to suffer through rope burns to prevent ourselves from splattering against the core. I assisted Robin in placing the explosives on the core so the caped crusader the set them to detonate in four minutes while Superboy and Kid acted as lookouts. We attempted to make our escape only for our escape route to be cut off by both a locked door and alien drones cornering us against it. We ducked for cover when they began shooting at us. _"Sixteen seconds and counting,"_ Robin reported and I took a deep breath to resign myself for my final orders.

" _Martian Manhunter, take Miss Martian and go."_

" _No!"_ she protested. _"I won't leave you!"_

" _Go!"_ Superboy snapped. _"We'll hold them off."_

" _We will follow as soon as we get through the doors,"_ we all knew that I was lying but there was no time for protests. Both Martians phase shifted through the ship and I looked to my friends, glad that these were the heroes I would die with as the clock ran out.

* * *

 **3** **RD** **POV**

 **MOUNT JUSTICE**

 **OCTOBER 16, 16:21**

The team woke to see that they were still in the cave, alive and well. They each received comfort from their mentors as they tried to process what just happened.

"SMILES!" Everyone's heads snapped to Kage who retained her form from the simulation but there was something off. She was no longer solid, but instead reflected a pitch black void in the shape of the ravenette. Roy was attempting to find a purchase on her to hold her but his hands merely slipped through. Deep, blue eyes stared down in resignation as if she knew what was happening. "Why did you do that? You know that form isn't stable and you still FUCKING –"

"Roy stop," Canary tried to sooth him only to be shrugged off.

"Why do you suddenly care?! You've been against her since the very beginning!" he shouted, trying to choke back the tears welling in his eyes as the gravity of the situation weighed on. "Smiles is – my _sister_ is gonna die if we can't fix this!"

"What is going on?" Kaldur demanded as he rushed to Kage's side, his hands helplessly hovering over her form.

Martian Manhunter was the one to explain, "Kage and Shadow merged to create the form you see before you. The consequence is that it is not stable. They can only stay together for a certain amount of time before the bond deteriorates. If they do not separate then neither of them will have a physical form and they will begin to fade away piece by piece." Needless to say the entire team was horrified by this news but Kage merely blinked once.

"Is there anything we can do for her?!" Superboy demanded.

"Can you resurrect the dead because the only person who's ever been able to fix this was Kent and he's in the fucking helmet!" Roy snapped, his grief clouding his mind as he tried to think of something.

* * *

While everyone tried to find a way to save the blue eyed teen, said girl was thinking back on her life, resigned to her fate. No one noticed the softly glowing golden locket next to her fading hand. However, they did notice when it began to rattle on the medical slab before shooting up to float in front of Kage's ringed eyes. She blinked at the glowing watch in shock as it began to project a small image of a very unhappy Kent, his hands folded over the handle of the cane that he still didn't need. "Jacqueline, if you're seeing this projection, then more likely than not, I've bitten the dust and your body is fading again, in which case –"

Whip – Crack!

Kage yelped in surprise and pain as the cane made contact with her gradually degrading head and was immediately met with many more. "What – whack! – did I – whack! – say – whack! – about – whack! – fusing?!" Kage attempted to block the blows with her arms. Honestly, she wasn't that surprised that Kent would make a projection just so that it could smack her upside for worrying him beyond the grave. When the projection stopped delivering the old man's frustrations it pressed the end of the cane to her forehead and her gradually disappearing body was enveloped in an inky black cocoon, scooping the rapidly withering Shadow inside as well.

Projection Kent lightly tapped his cane against the cocoon, and sighed, "You know the drill, kid. Stay in there until it's time and then you should be fine." He affectionately rubbed a hand against the smooth shell and pressed a kiss where her head would be. "Take care, kid."

With that, the projection blew away in a nonexistent wind, leaving behind nothing but the pocket watch and a piece of paper. Kaldur cautiously picked it up and his eyes widened as he read what was written on it. "What is it?" Roy asked, peering over his shoulder.

"It's the spell for the shell," the Atlantean said breathlessly. Batman took the spell from Kaldur and carefully inspected it even though he didn't understand the language it was written in besides the purpose which was written in English.

"I'll get this to Zatara and see if he can translate these symbols," he said stoicly before returning his gaze to the team's leader. "In the mean time you will be watching over Kage."

Superboy scoffed, "As if there was any other option." Kaldur pressed a trembling hand to the cocoon and his shoulders slumped in relief as he let out a shuddering breath.

* * *

The League the Team alone to discuss what just took place, it all happened so fast that they didn't have time to take everything in. Superboy sat next to Kage's cocoon, comfortingly scratching Wolf and Cas's heads. He grew defensive when Martian Manhunter stated that M'gann was the reason the exercise got out of control. "This isn't her fault! Why didn't you stop the exercise?!" he demanded.

"We tried," the green skinned man curtly stated, "but M'gann had a death grip on the scenario. Even Artemis who should have awakened upon her death was so convinced that she had passed she slipped into a coma. I realized that I would have to wrest control from Miss Martian's subconscious from within, but upon entering the reality I was overwhelmed by your collective emotions. There was too much noise to think clearly…to remember why I was there. Only when everyone's minds silenced in the wake of the mothership's explosion did my mind clear enough to remember my true purpose: to shock M'gann out of the exercise before your comas became permanent and before Kage would feel pressed enough to fuse with Shadow. My apologies, I had no idea a training exercise could be so dangerous, so damaging." Superboy turned his gaze on the green girl in question and saw that she had covered her face in despair.

Though comfort was not his forte, Superboy knew that the ginger needed him in this moment and he would do the best that he could. He pulled her into his chest while Captain Marvel rubbed her back, letting her sob into his chest and ignoring the warm wet tears that soaked his shirt, but he wished that Kage was available to comfort him because he wasn't feeling all that great either. He needed her silent reassurance to let him know that everything would be fine.

* * *

 **HOURS LATER**

After M'gann had cried herself to sleep, Connor laid her down in her room and returned to the mission room to do the same for the Kage-coon. He entered the room to see that Cas was curled up atop it's hard shell and Wolf was curled around it with his large head lying on it. "So, how long have you been seeing my sister, Kaldur?" Roy asked in an eerily nonchalant tone that caused the Atlantean to stiffen up. Connor glanced over at them in the corner to Red Arrow staring at his leader with a deceptively calm expression while the blonde was glancing around nervously. When his pale green eyes caught Connor's piercing blue ones, he sent the clone a pleading look only for Connor to send him a sympathetic one in return as he hefted the cocoon into his arms, fox and all, before making his escape.

Kaldur gulped as he returned his gaze to his stone faced friend. "T-the day Martian Manhunter told her that she w-would need speech therapy," he answered, hoping to placate his rather protective friend.

Roy nodded an hummed in thought without saying anything else, and Kaldur made the mistake of relaxing thinking that the conversation was over. That is until there was an alarmingly sharp arrow at his throat. "Any reason you never asked for my blessing, Kal?" he demanded in a dangerously low, rumbling growl.

"N-now Roy –" the blonde held his hands up in surrender, nervously sweating at the open threat.

"Answer the fucking question, Kaldur," the ginger pressed impatiently.

Kaldur wished that Kage was there with him but he knew that this would eventually happen, fortunately that arrow was directed lower as he'd originally expected it'd be. He sincerely hoped that it wouldn't stray. "W-we were planning to tell you before things got too serious –"

"Really? **How serious are you?"**

Kaldur couldn't keep the blush from his face at the insinuation but was still offended by it, "I have never done anything that Kage did not want. The relationship is still new, so we wanted to explore it a little more before we brought it to your attention." Roy was taking deep breaths as he took in this information, removing the arrow from Kaldur's throat. The blonde let out a small relieved sigh before giving his friend a look of determination. "I promise you that I would never intentionally hurt Jacqueline."

If it was anyone else, Roy wouldn't have believed him, but because it was Kaldur, the same gentlemanly Atlantean whom he'd known since he became Green Arrow's sidekick. Not to mention, the blonde actually valued his testicles so the archer decided to trust him on this one. He narrowed his eyes at Kaldur and let out a long suffering sigh, "Kal you better keep that promise because if you break her heart **I** won't be the one you have to answer to. I'll just be the one hiding your body."

A shudder passed through Kaldur's spine as he nodded his understanding. He had no doubt that what Roy said was the truth. However, he inwardly celebrated the fact that he'd received his friend's blessing. Now he only had to wait for his lady to awaken.

* * *

 **That's the end of this chapter everybody! Thanks for waiting so long for this chapter and being so patient with me. I tried my best to write this well enough and I hope that I delivered. My brain is really numb right now and I'm trying to end this on a positive note so I'm gonna shut up and start thanking people.**

 **Thank you to…**

 **Minnidog118**

 **DJ Meltdown of Ground Xero**

 **Archmage2**

 **Black Puppet Master**

 **Xakura Revolution**

 **mayfire21**

 **EvanesceStream**

 **Trainwreck20**

 **Read & Review because the blood of the Muse runs on feedback. **


End file.
